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Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Buena Vista University

⌖ Storm Lake, IA · 20 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$211,464 over 10 years

Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

58.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−83%Modeled 10-year ROI
$49,392Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$211,464at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$255,3840
2
4
6
8
−$211,46410
Years after graduationBreak-even: 58.1 years
FEDERAL COST DATA

Four ways to read college price.

Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.

Published in-state tuition$41,798
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$41,798
Sticker price
Average net price$18,846
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$54,222
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, completion and earnings context

$18,846Average net price / year
$54,222Cost of attendance
$49,392Median earnings · year 5 after completion
61.7%Completion rate
77.6%Admission rate
1,366Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

61thEarnings percentile
55thCompletion percentile
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$41,622Year 1
$50,318Year 4
$49,392Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

The college average is not the whole story.

Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.

1Curriculum and Instruction · Master's Degree$68,6912Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$63,9503Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Bachelor's Degree$63,8324Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$63,4545Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Master's Degree$62,3896Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$61,7107Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations · Bachelor's Degree$58,5408Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$58,440

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in IA

Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.

Lamoni, IA

Graceland University-Lamoni

Annual net price
$18,504
Observed earnings · year 5
$51,838
Modeled 10-year ROI
-73%
Open college profile →Cedar Rapids, IA

Coe College

Annual net price
$18,745
Observed earnings · year 5
$54,517
Modeled 10-year ROI
-63%
Open college profile →Mount Vernon, IA

Cornell College

Annual net price
$23,634
Observed earnings · year 5
$48,083
Modeled 10-year ROI
-89%
Open college profile →Pella, IA

Central College

Annual net price
$23,377
Observed earnings · year 5
$51,385
Modeled 10-year ROI
-77%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
Curriculum and InstructionMaster's Degree$68,691Not available
Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's Degree$63,950$27,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree$63,832Not available
Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree$63,454$27,000
Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's Degree$62,389Not available
Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree$61,710Not available
Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsBachelor's Degree$58,540$27,000
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree$58,440$31,000
Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's Degree$58,059Not available
Human Resources Management and ServicesBachelor's Degree$56,329$27,312
MarketingBachelor's Degree$55,330$25,994
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree$53,736$27,000
Education, GeneralBachelor's Degree$50,997$32,000
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree$49,281$27,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's Degree$48,048$29,008
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree$45,573$41,996
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's Degree$45,185$34,965
Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree$44,755$32,500
Biology, GeneralBachelor's DegreeNot available$27,000
Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's DegreeNot available$22,987

Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.