College ROI

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA 5,447 Undergrads 88.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$78,679
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$43,071
After Aid
Median Earnings
$105,724
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$43,071
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$105,724
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$103,470
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate88.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients11.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS92.5%

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
+$887k
+$420k
+$402k
Median Cost$43k/yr
+$732k
+$265k
+$247k
Full Cost$79k/yr
+$603k
+$137k
+$119k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
∞
Median Cost$43k/yr
33
159%
Full Cost$79k/yr
43
42%
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 Return170%

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-15%
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)
$105,171
Natl Median: $98,207
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,112
Natl Median: $89,406
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$85,313
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,950
Earnings (4yr)
$75,018
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
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
+$149k
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$93,298
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
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
+$205k
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
+$153k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$134,208
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$462k
Median Debt
$24,656
Earnings (4yr)
$95,430
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Median Debt
-
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
$26,887
Earnings (4yr)
$109,386
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,719
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Median Debt
$26,254
Earnings (4yr)
$101,554
Natl Median: $98,442
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
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
+$70k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Natl Median: $88,839
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$97,308
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$111,103
Natl Median: $101,649
Lifetime Value Added
+$288k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,494
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
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
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
+$219k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$154,407
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$633k
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
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
Engineering, Other
MastCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,409
Natl Median: $129,974
Lifetime Value Added
+$287k
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $122,873
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$125,641
Natl Median: $140,634
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$163,424
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
+$711k
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
+$541k

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.