College ROI

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA 5,447 Undergrads 89.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$80,569
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$43,885
After Aid
Median Earnings
$106,002
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$43,885
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$106,002
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$113,513
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate89.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)19.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients13.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS92.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
60.2%
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
+$877k
+$407k
+$390k
Median Cost$44k/yr
+$719k
+$249k
+$233k
Full Cost$81k/yr
+$587k
+$117k
+$101k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
∞
Median Cost$44k/yr
33
147%
Full Cost$81k/yr
44
35%
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 Return155%

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-20%

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 →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$105,171
Natl Median: $98,207
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,112
Natl Median: $89,406
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
-$276k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,018
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,713
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$92,806
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$93,298
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$100,199
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$204k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,417
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
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Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$134,208
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$461k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$95,430
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
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Median Debt
$22,625
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$109,386
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$274k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,719
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
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Median Debt
$23,249
Earnings (4yr)
$101,554
Natl Median: $98,442
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$79,284
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$126,410
Natl Median: $88,839
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$106,794
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
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Median Debt
$25,812
Earnings (4yr)
$97,308
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$111,103
Natl Median: $101,649
Lifetime Value Added
+$287k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
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Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,452
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$107,344
Natl Median: $122,434
Lifetime Value Added
+$225k
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Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$106,581
Natl Median: $106,375
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$154,407
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$632k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$109,763
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
+$285k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$139,976
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
+$508k
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Engineering, Other
MastCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,409
Natl Median: $129,974
Lifetime Value Added
+$286k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,629
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$133,902
Natl Median: $122,873
Lifetime Value Added
+$433k
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Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,282
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,309
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$117,441
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$125,641
Natl Median: $140,634
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$163,424
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
+$709k
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Statistics
MastCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $123,816
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Systems Engineering
MastCIP: 1427
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$143,717
Natl Median: $144,565
Lifetime Value Added
+$540k
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Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,299
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,196
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,899
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,683
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
DocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,983
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $153,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $131,848
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $141,187
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,386
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,809
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $157,305
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, Other
DocCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $140,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $130,845
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
DocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,656
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.