College ROI

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Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research.

Graduate Certificate24 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 ($90,521)
P25-P75 Interval ($47,260 - $90,521)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution
State
Earnings
Avg Net PriceMedian Debt
Lifetime Value Added
Atlanta
GA
$90,521
Nat: $80,077
4yr Post-Grad
$15,931
/yr
-
+$217k
Storrs
CT
-
Nat: $80,077
$25,097
/yr
-
-$0
Fort Lauderdale
FL
-
Nat: $80,077
$30,371
/yr
-
-$0
Chicago
IL
-
Nat: $80,077
$36,079
/yr
-
-$0
Bloomington
IN
-
Nat: $80,077
$16,264
/yr
-
-$0
Iowa City
IA
-
Nat: $80,077
$22,531
/yr
-
-$0
Lexington
KY
-
Nat: $80,077
$18,851
/yr
-
-$0
Boston
MA
-
Nat: $80,077
$30,915
/yr
-
-$0
Medford
MA
-
Nat: $80,077
$39,998
/yr
-
-$0
East Lansing
MI
-
Nat: $80,077
$19,680
/yr
-
-$0
Columbia
MO
-
Nat: $80,077
$20,268
/yr
-
-$0
Saint Louis
MO
-
Nat: $80,077
$27,047
/yr
-
-$0
Durham
NH
-
Nat: $80,077
$23,805
/yr
-
-$0
Rochester
NY
-
Nat: $80,077
$29,278
/yr
-
-$0
Charlotte
NC
-
Nat: $80,077
$15,435
/yr
-
-$0
Slippery Rock
PA
-
Nat: $80,077
$19,608
/yr
-
-$0
Columbia
SC
-
Nat: $80,077
$22,811
/yr
-
-$0
Memphis
TN
-
Nat: $80,077
$12,397
/yr
-
-$0
West Lafayette
IN
-
Nat: $80,077
$14,600
/yr
-
-$0
Waterbury
CT
-
Nat: $80,077
$10,875
/yr
-
-$0
Groton
CT
-
Nat: $80,077
$13,807
/yr
-
-$0
Stamford
CT
-
Nat: $80,077
$16,798
/yr
-
-$0
Hartford
CT
-
Nat: $80,077
$16,403
/yr
-
-$0
Muncie
IN
$47,260
Nat: $80,077
2yr Post-Grad
$14,940
/yr
-
-$185k
Analysis Notes:
  • Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median bachelor's degree holder, 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).Note: For graduate programs, the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition and net price.
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.