College ROI

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Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC 3,523 Undergrads 59.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$30,710
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,343
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,693
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,343
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$48,693
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,185
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate59.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS67.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
79.3%
SAT Avg
1,139
SAT Reading
25th: 52056575th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 49053375th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 202375th: 27

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
+$443k
-$24k
-$42k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$387k
-$79k
-$97k
Full Cost$31k/yr
+$332k
-$135k
-$152k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-176%
Full Cost$31k/yr
Never
-138%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
  • 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 Return-149%

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-92%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,363
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,888
Earnings (4yr)
$50,536
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,987
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$25,739
Earnings (4yr)
$60,324
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,303
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$22,482
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$316k
Median Debt
$27,917
Earnings (4yr)
$54,194
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,948
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,200
Earnings (4yr)
$44,068
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,440
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$48,702
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,975
Earnings (4yr)
$41,343
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,872
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$31,606
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,566
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,562
Earnings (4yr)
$43,365
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,026
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,287
Earnings (4yr)
$46,548
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,178
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
$26,668
Earnings (4yr)
$44,766
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,080
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,487
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,069
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k

Master's Degrees

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,375
Earnings (4yr)
$86,305
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Median Debt
$42,315
Earnings (4yr)
$67,214
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$301k
Median Debt
$33,997
Earnings (4yr)
$77,922
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,369
Natl Median: $66,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,287
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$49,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,190
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Median Debt
$28,976
Earnings (4yr)
$47,645
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$258k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,406
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,661
Natl Median: $65,965
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,166
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,774
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.