College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Winona State University

Winona, MN 5,144 Undergrads 65.2% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$23,730
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,413
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,158
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,413
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$64,158
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$63,354
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate65.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients27.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time86.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
75.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$562k
+$92k
+$76k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$499k
+$29k
+$13k
Full Cost$24k/yr
+$477k
+$6k
-$10k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
54
21%
Full Cost$24k/yr
Never
-12%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return75%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-30%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$13,727
Earnings (4yr)
$50,823
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$18,375
Earnings (4yr)
$72,768
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,910
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,528
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (4yr)
$61,878
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$64,760
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,400
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$53,456
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $104,864
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$88,164
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,711
Earnings (4yr)
$62,220
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,876
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,097
Earnings (4yr)
$75,807
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$16,124
Earnings (4yr)
$48,258
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,426
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$72,716
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Try this program with your own numbers →
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$289k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$65,501
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Try this program with your own numbers →
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,808
Natl Median: $62,654
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $51,712
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,708
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,203
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,528
Natl Median: $91,449
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,996
Earnings (4yr)
$55,235
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,381
Natl Median: $50,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,875
Earnings (4yr)
$55,027
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,361
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$23,481
Earnings (4yr)
$47,291
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,838
Earnings (4yr)
$80,117
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,688
Earnings (4yr)
$55,113
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$54,056
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,166
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,824
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$63,303
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,380
Earnings (4yr)
$46,863
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$24,625
Earnings (4yr)
$48,767
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,129
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$259k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,901
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,050
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$33,700
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$134,654
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$510k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,481
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$207k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Graduate Certificates

Education, General
Gr-CertCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,448
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,655
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Gr-CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$62,824
Earnings (4yr)
$123,651
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.