College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 3,187 Undergrads 64.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$35,806
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,685
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,012
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,685
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$61,012
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate64.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
94.2%
SAT Avg
1,135
SAT Reading
25th: 52056475th: 620
SAT Math
25th: 51056075th: 610
ACT Composite
25th: 222575th: 28

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$525k
+$128k
+$40k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$454k
+$57k
-$30k
Full Cost$36k/yr
+$396k
-$527
-$88k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
40
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-43%
Full Cost$36k/yr
Never
-69%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-31%

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-65%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$67,037
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,661
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Behavioral Sciences
BachCIP: 3017
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$185k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,093
Earnings (5yr)
$66,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$63,708
Lifetime Value Added
+$96
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,014
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$54,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,879
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,684
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$24,173
Earnings (2yr)
$50,465
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$307k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,569
Earnings (5yr)
$57,821
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$307k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,449
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,319
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (5yr)
$60,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$80,845
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,750
Lifetime Value Added
-$255k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$26,950
Earnings (2yr)
$42,905
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$32,563
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k

Master's Degrees

Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (2yr)
$64,990
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.