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Public Policy Analysis.
Bachelor's Degree•84 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 ($66,177)
P25-P75 Interval ($58,535 - $75,580)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution | State | Earnings | Avg Net Price | Median Debt | Lifetime Value Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ithaca | NY | $126,767 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $28,690 /yr | $15,125 | +$458k |
Princeton | NJ | $107,792 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $6,128 /yr | $10,527 | +$396k |
Durham | NC | $103,071 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $29,612 /yr | $10,500 | +$275k |
Chicago | IL | $94,237 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $14,860 /yr | $17,492 | +$261k |
Nashville | TN | $91,265 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $15,846 /yr | - | +$235k |
Providence | RI | $94,962 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $25,184 /yr | $10,000 | +$229k |
University | MS | $85,338 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $13,314 /yr | $21,000 | +$199k |
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 | $71,723 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | - /yr | $19,500 | +$143k |
Chapel Hill | NC | $74,403 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $11,655 /yr | $14,000 | +$121k |
Ann Arbor | MI | $73,749 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $13,138 /yr | $21,000 | +$111k |
Hartford | CT | $82,638 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $34,832 /yr | $23,161 | +$101k |
Evanston | IL | $78,752 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $29,167 /yr | $18,750 | +$91k |
Tempe | AZ | $71,723 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $14,967 /yr | $19,500 | +$89k |
New Brunswick | NJ | $74,865 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $24,406 /yr | $23,750 | +$79k |
St. Mary's City | MD | $69,232 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $18,441 /yr | $22,750 | +$57k |
Williamsburg | VA | $69,118 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $19,096 /yr | $22,000 | +$54k |
Waterbury | CT | $64,389 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $10,875 /yr | $24,250 | +$47k |
Los Angeles | CA | $74,511 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $32,740 /yr | $17,750 | +$46k |
Waltham | MA | $75,580 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $35,736 /yr | $25,000 | +$44k |
Groton | CT | $64,389 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $13,807 /yr | $24,250 | +$36k |
Columbus | OH | $65,894 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $17,339 /yr | $14,373 | +$35k |
Richardson | TX | $66,209 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $18,267 /yr | $16,750 | +$35k |
Newark | DE | $65,776 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $17,799 /yr | $25,195 | +$33k |
Hartford | CT | $64,389 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $16,403 /yr | $24,250 | +$27k |
Pullman | WA | $63,631 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $14,971 /yr | - | +$26k |
Stamford | CT | $64,389 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $16,798 /yr | $24,250 | +$26k |
Redlands | CA | $70,080 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $30,031 /yr | $27,000 | +$22k |
Blacksburg | VA | $66,177 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $24,953 /yr | $15,500 | +$10k |
Tuskegee | AL | - Nat: $73,721 | $35,013 /yr | - | -$0 |
Claremont | CA | - Nat: $73,721 | $28,849 /yr | - | -$0 |
Claremont | CA | - Nat: $73,721 | $34,191 /yr | - | -$0 |
Claremont | CA | - Nat: $73,721 | $36,294 /yr | - | -$0 |
Denver | CO | - Nat: $73,721 | $36,131 /yr | - | -$0 |
Atlanta | GA | - Nat: $73,721 | $12,116 /yr | - | -$0 |
Mercer University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Macon | GA | - Nat: $73,721 | $23,847 /yr | - | -$0 |
Chicago | IL | - Nat: $73,721 | $30,902 /yr | - | -$0 |
Chicago | IL | - Nat: $73,721 | $10,974 /yr | $14,250 | -$0 |
Bourbonnais | IL | - Nat: $73,721 | $20,729 /yr | - | -$0 |
University of Illinois Springfield ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Springfield | IL | - Nat: $73,721 | $9,833 /yr | - | -$0 |
College Park | MD | - Nat: $73,721 | $15,678 /yr | $20,460 | -$0 |
Waltham | MA | - Nat: $73,721 | $37,930 /yr | - | -$0 |
Albion | MI | - Nat: $73,721 | $14,301 /yr | - | -$0 |
Jersey City | NJ | - Nat: $73,721 | $12,199 /yr | - | -$0 |
New York | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $28,800 /yr | - | -$0 |
Hempstead | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $34,176 /yr | - | -$0 |
Dobbs Ferry | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $14,072 /yr | - | -$0 |
Bronx | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $21,696 /yr | - | -$0 |
Rochester | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $34,906 /yr | - | -$0 |
Loudonville | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $33,733 /yr | $25,000 | -$0 |
Albany | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $17,167 /yr | - | -$0 |
Empire State University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Saratoga Springs | NY | - Nat: $73,721 | $11,676 /yr | $23,642 | -$0 |
Pittsburgh | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $31,944 /yr | - | -$0 |
Pittsburgh | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $29,954 /yr | - | -$0 |
Pittsburgh | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $37,730 /yr | - | -$0 |
Gettysburg | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $31,490 /yr | - | -$0 |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Middletown | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $23,330 /yr | - | -$0 |
University Park | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $32,875 /yr | - | -$0 |
Philadelphia | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $28,699 /yr | - | -$0 |
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Greensburg | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $17,945 /yr | - | -$0 |
Pittsburgh | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $30,434 /yr | - | -$0 |
Latrobe | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $23,510 /yr | - | -$0 |
Selinsgrove | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $28,819 /yr | - | -$0 |
Collegeville | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $30,536 /yr | - | -$0 |
Washington | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $25,002 /yr | - | -$0 |
Waynesburg | PA | - Nat: $73,721 | $18,235 /yr | - | -$0 |
Trevecca Nazarene University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Nashville | TN | - Nat: $73,721 | $16,813 /yr | - | -$0 |
Dallas | TX | - Nat: $73,721 | $28,516 /yr | - | -$0 |
Austin | TX | - Nat: $73,721 | $19,857 /yr | - | -$0 |
Bennington | VT | - Nat: $73,721 | $30,947 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ellensburg | WA | - Nat: $73,721 | $18,476 /yr | - | -$0 |
Stanford | CA | - Nat: $73,721 | $13,807 /yr | - | -$0 |
Storrs | CT | $64,389 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $25,097 /yr | $24,250 | -$4k |
Riverside | CA | $58,504 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $14,304 /yr | $19,161 | -$12k |
Regent University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Virginia Beach | VA | $60,776 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $19,923 /yr | $22,469 | -$14k |
Houston | TX | $55,512 Nat: $73,721 2yr Post-Grad | $13,370 /yr | - | -$15k |
East Lansing | MI | $58,535 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $19,680 /yr | $25,822 | -$31k |
Atlanta | GA | $56,842 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $15,931 /yr | $25,767 | -$32k |
Kingston | RI | $51,697 Nat: $73,721 4yr Post-Grad | $21,440 /yr | $23,000 | -$94k |
Carlisle | PA | $55,338 Nat: $73,721 2yr Post-Grad | $37,607 /yr | - | -$104k |
Clinton | NY | $50,856 Nat: $73,721 2yr Post-Grad | $28,985 /yr | $17,000 | -$111k |
Los Angeles | CA | $46,478 Nat: $73,721 2yr Post-Grad | $21,413 /yr | - | -$122k |
Geneva | NY | $44,942 Nat: $69,118 2yr Post-Grad | $31,563 /yr | - | -$172k |
Dallas | TX | $45,852 Nat: $73,721 2yr Post-Grad | $40,892 /yr | $19,500 | -$197k |
Claremont | CA | $29,685 Nat: $73,721 2yr Post-Grad | $19,285 /yr | - | -$264k |
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.