College ROI

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Back to Liberal Arts

Classical and Ancient Studies.

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 ($29,685)
P25-P75 Interval ($17,950 - $40,615)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution
State
Earnings
Avg Net PriceMedian Debt
Lifetime Value Added
Los Angeles
CA
-
Nat: $50,477
$12,548
/yr
-
-$0
Los Angeles
CA
-
Nat: $50,477
$48,381
/yr
-
-$0
Coral Gables
FL
-
Nat: $50,477
$37,244
/yr
-
-$0
Atlanta
GA
-
Nat: $50,477
$22,585
/yr
-
-$0
Athens
GA
-
Nat: $50,477
$13,936
/yr
-
-$0
Chicago
IL
-
Nat: $50,477
$10,974
/yr
-
-$0
Indianapolis
IN
-
Nat: $50,477
$36,041
/yr
-
-$0
Hanover
IN
-
Nat: $50,477
$21,829
/yr
-
-$0
Iowa City
IA
-
Nat: $50,477
$22,531
/yr
-
-$0
Lawrence
KS
-
Nat: $50,477
$18,059
/yr
-
-$0
Lewiston
ME
-
Nat: $50,477
$29,351
/yr
-
-$0
Waterville
ME
-
Nat: $50,477
$17,180
/yr
-
-$0
Baltimore
MD
-
Nat: $50,477
$16,467
/yr
-
-$0
Boston
MA
-
Nat: $50,477
$24,402
/yr
-
-$0
South Hadley
MA
-
Nat: $50,477
$26,441
/yr
-
-$0
Wellesley
MA
-
Nat: $50,477
$25,496
/yr
-
-$0
Grand Rapids
MI
-
Nat: $50,477
$22,992
/yr
-
-$0
Kalamazoo
MI
-
Nat: $50,477
$19,072
/yr
-
-$0
Ann Arbor
MI
-
Nat: $50,477
$13,138
/yr
-
-$0
Northfield
MN
-
Nat: $50,477
$23,874
/yr
-
-$0
Saint Louis
MO
-
Nat: $50,477
$24,398
/yr
-
-$0
St. Louis
MO
-
Nat: $50,477
$21,786
/yr
-
-$0
Omaha
NE
-
Nat: $50,477
$31,568
/yr
-
-$0
Hanover
NH
-
Nat: $50,477
$29,519
/yr
-
-$0
New York
NY
-
Nat: $50,477
$28,800
/yr
-
-$0
Hamilton
NY
-
Nat: $50,477
$28,786
/yr
-
-$0
Bronx
NY
-
Nat: $50,477
$44,338
/yr
-
-$0
Poughkeepsie
NY
-
Nat: $50,477
$39,343
/yr
-
-$0
Bryn Mawr
PA
-
Nat: $50,477
$31,759
/yr
-
-$0
Swarthmore
PA
-
Nat: $50,477
$23,149
/yr
-
-$0
Providence
RI
-
Nat: $50,477
$25,184
/yr
-
-$0
Nashville
TN
-
Nat: $50,477
$15,846
/yr
-
-$0
Houston
TX
-
Nat: $50,477
$13,370
/yr
-
-$0
Nelson University
⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI.
Waxahachie
TX
-
Nat: $50,477
$21,662
/yr
-
-$0
Austin
TX
-
Nat: $50,477
$19,857
/yr
-
-$0
University of Richmond
VA
-
Nat: $50,477
$31,309
/yr
-
-$0
West Lafayette
IN
-
Nat: $50,477
$14,600
/yr
-
-$0
Lincoln
NE
$40,615
Nat: $50,477
4yr Post-Grad
$17,747
/yr
$24,000
-$174k
Berkeley
CA
$29,685
Nat: $50,477
2yr Post-Grad
$13,481
/yr
-
-$243k
Williamsport
PA
$17,950
Nat: $50,477
2yr Post-Grad
$19,140
/yr
-
-$372k
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.