Make the numbers personal
What could your
degree return?
Start with the price after aid and your expected salary. Adjust the assumptions to see when the investment could pay off.
Your assumptions
Use an aid offer or start with the example.
After graduation, at the earnings you entered.
Starts at −$60,000. Crosses $0 after 5.2 years.
View the numbers behind the line
| Years after graduation | Net return |
|---|---|
| 0 · graduation | −$60,000 |
| 5 | −$1,800 |
| 10 | $56,400 |
| 15 | $114,600 |
| 20 | $172,800 |
$60,000 ÷ $11,640 per year = 5.2 years to break even.
An estimate based on constant earnings, not a prediction of your individual outcome.
No black box
Here’s how the
calculation works.
We use the same earnings-premium approach across Degree Dividend.
Read the full methodology ↗Work out the investment
Total net cost = annual net price × years of study.
Find the annual premium
Expected earnings − earnings without the degree.
Estimate the return
Payback = cost ÷ annual premium. The 20-year return is 20 × annual premium − total cost.
What this estimate includes — and what it leaves out
This simple model holds annual earnings constant and does not discount future dollars. It excludes loan interest, taxes, and earnings forgone during study. If expected earnings do not exceed the baseline, there is no payback on this metric. Use the estimate alongside program completion rates, career goals, and your actual aid offer.