College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning.

Bachelor's Degree40 Institutions

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.

Annual Full Cost vs. Median Earnings

Each dot represents one program at an institution. Shows the spread of annual sticker price (or net price if sticker price is unavailable) vs earnings 4 years post-grad.

Field Median ($61,173)
P25-P75 Interval ($55,625 - $71,158)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution
State
Earnings
Avg Net PriceMedian Debt
Lifetime Value Added
Los Angeles
CA
$106,094
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$32,740
/yr
-
+$287k
San Luis Obispo
CA
$80,820
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$16,665
/yr
$19,334
+$152k
Tucson
AZ
$76,360
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$16,674
/yr
$24,863
+$118k
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI.
Scottsdale
AZ
$68,163
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
-
/yr
$23,444
+$115k
Pomona
CA
$72,704
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$11,531
/yr
$15,000
+$109k
Seattle
WA
$73,413
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$14,091
/yr
-
+$105k
Boca Raton
FL
$66,093
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$8,752
/yr
$21,114
+$68k
East Lansing
MI
$71,158
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$19,680
/yr
-
+$67k
Tempe
AZ
$68,163
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$14,967
/yr
$23,444
+$62k
College Station
TX
$70,592
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$21,315
/yr
$17,720
+$57k
New Brunswick
NJ
$68,786
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$24,406
/yr
-
+$32k
Alabama A & M University
⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI.
Normal
AL
-
Nat: $66,874
$17,621
/yr
-
-$0
Fresno
CA
-
Nat: $66,874
$7,000
/yr
-
-$0
Frostburg
MD
-
Nat: $66,874
$16,715
/yr
-
-$0
Salisbury
MD
-
Nat: $66,874
$17,743
/yr
-
-$0
Cambridge
MA
-
Nat: $66,874
$20,111
/yr
-
-$0
Ypsilanti
MI
-
Nat: $66,874
$15,407
/yr
-
-$0
Kalamazoo
MI
-
Nat: $66,874
$15,273
/yr
-
-$0
Kansas City
MO
-
Nat: $66,874
$13,310
/yr
-
-$0
Springfield
MO
-
Nat: $66,874
$17,613
/yr
-
-$0
Durham
NH
-
Nat: $66,874
$23,805
/yr
-
-$0
Plymouth
NH
-
Nat: $66,874
$19,216
/yr
-
-$0
Glassboro
NJ
-
Nat: $66,874
$22,408
/yr
-
-$0
Boone
NC
-
Nat: $66,874
$16,836
/yr
-
-$0
Greenville
NC
-
Nat: $66,874
$15,739
/yr
-
-$0
Oxford
OH
-
Nat: $66,874
$28,384
/yr
$25,000
-$0
Haverford
PA
-
Nat: $66,874
$25,314
/yr
-
-$0
Philadelphia
PA
-
Nat: $66,874
$28,198
/yr
-
-$0
Austin
TX
-
Nat: $66,874
$19,857
/yr
-
-$0
Ames
IA
$61,173
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$18,589
/yr
$24,250
-$6k
Westfield
MA
$59,524
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$16,721
/yr
$23,628
-$13k
Columbus
OH
$57,573
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$17,339
/yr
$24,000
-$31k
Cincinnati
OH
$60,699
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$25,648
/yr
$25,464
-$35k
Muncie
IN
$55,663
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$14,940
/yr
-
-$38k
San Marcos
TX
$55,625
Nat: $66,874
4yr Post-Grad
$16,805
/yr
$20,792
-$45k
Charlottesville
VA
$55,338
Nat: $66,874
2yr Post-Grad
$21,565
/yr
-
-$46k
Champaign
IL
$43,240
Nat: $66,874
2yr Post-Grad
$14,355
/yr
-
-$125k
Ithaca
NY
$42,682
Nat: $66,874
2yr Post-Grad
$28,690
/yr
$12,952
-$181k
Cheney
WA
$33,993
Nat: $66,874
2yr Post-Grad
$13,886
/yr
-
-$206k
Indiana
PA
$31,839
Nat: $66,874
2yr Post-Grad
$16,804
/yr
-
-$236k
Analysis Notes:
  • Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes.
  • Avg Net Price: The average price paid by students who receive federal financial aid (grants/loans).
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.