College ROI

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Systems Science and Theory.

Bachelor's Degree12 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 ($70,820)
P25-P75 Interval ($57,510 - $91,034)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution
State
Earnings
Avg Net PriceMedian Debt
Lifetime Value Added
Pittsburgh
PA
$146,929
Nat: $88,036
4yr Post-Grad
$31,944
/yr
$23,250
+$598k
Harrisonburg
VA
$91,034
Nat: $88,036
4yr Post-Grad
$23,322
/yr
$21,500
+$206k
California
PA
$70,820
Nat: $88,036
4yr Post-Grad
$18,256
/yr
-
+$70k
Philadelphia
PA
$64,444
Nat: $88,036
4yr Post-Grad
$19,409
/yr
$23,512
+$17k
Claremont
CA
-
Nat: $88,036
$28,849
/yr
-
-$0
Claremont
CA
-
Nat: $88,036
$34,191
/yr
-
-$0
Winona Lake
IN
-
Nat: $88,036
$19,932
/yr
-
-$0
Syracuse
NY
-
Nat: $88,036
$38,793
/yr
-
-$0
Laramie
WY
-
Nat: $88,036
$13,599
/yr
-
-$0
West Lafayette
IN
-
Nat: $88,036
$14,600
/yr
-
-$0
Champaign
IL
$57,510
Nat: $88,036
4yr Post-Grad
$14,355
/yr
$20,350
-$20k
Huntington
WV
$48,250
Nat: $88,036
4yr Post-Grad
$7,502
/yr
-
-$72k
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.