10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$113,842at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Grinnell College
⌖ Grinnell, IA · 12 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$113,842 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.
18.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−45%Modeled 10-year ROI
$58,675Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
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.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$17,648Average net price / year
$83,440Cost of attendance
$58,675Median earnings · year 5 after completion
88.1%Completion rate
14.5%Admission rate
1,729Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$33,404Year 1
$58,955Year 4
$58,675Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Economics · Bachelor's Degree$110,7242Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$109,8923Political Science and Government · Bachelor's Degree$68,5184Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Bachelor's Degree$59,6385Research and Experimental Psychology · Bachelor's Degree$57,7526Biology, General · Bachelor's Degree$56,2757Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics · Bachelor's Degree$54,9838History · Bachelor's Degree$54,703Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
Sioux City, IA
St Luke's College
- Annual net price
- $19,820
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,944
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -39%
Coe College
- Annual net price
- $18,745
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,517
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -63%
Mount Mercy University
- Annual net price
- $20,168
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $61,499
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -37%
Upper Iowa University
- Annual net price
- $20,942
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,614
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -60%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $110,724 | $16,950 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $109,892 | $16,375 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $68,518 | $17,500 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $59,638 | Not available |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $57,752 | $17,702 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $56,275 | $17,500 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $54,983 | $17,814 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $54,703 | $17,500 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $53,105 | $16,549 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $36,854 | $18,059 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $16,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $16,750 |
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.