10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$539,546at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Harvard University
⌖ Cambridge, MA · 47 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Strong payoff
+$539,546 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.
3.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
+211%Modeled 10-year ROI
$124,581Observed 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
$19,066Average net price / year
$85,540Cost of attendance
$124,581Median earnings · year 5 after completion
97.6%Completion rate
3.6%Admission rate
7,601Student 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
$92,518Year 1
$134,794Year 4
$124,581Year 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.
1Law · First Professional Degree$291,4902Business Administration, Management and Operations · First Professional Degree$272,0093Statistics · Bachelor's Degree$230,8764Computer Engineering · Master's Degree$228,5195Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$203,1696Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences · Master's Degree$198,9217Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences · Graduate/Professional Certificate$198,3248Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$189,806Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in MA
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.
Needham, MA
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
- Annual net price
- $25,171
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $112,565
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +141%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Annual net price
- $20,111
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $148,383
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +297%
Babson College
- Annual net price
- $40,514
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $113,760
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +101%
Bentley University
- Annual net price
- $37,930
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $105,451
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +82%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | First Professional Degree | $291,490 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | First Professional Degree | $272,009 | Not available |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $230,876 | Not available |
| Computer Engineering | Master's Degree | $228,519 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $203,169 | Not available |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Master's Degree | $198,921 | Not available |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $198,324 | Not available |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $189,806 | Not available |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Doctoral Degree | $185,905 | Not available |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $177,149 | Not available |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Doctoral Degree | $174,114 | Not available |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $170,689 | Not available |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Master's Degree | $168,833 | Not available |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Master's Degree | $155,888 | Not available |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $155,592 | $6,617 |
| Biotechnology | Master's Degree | $155,219 | Not available |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $153,797 | Not available |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $153,029 | Not available |
| Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $151,692 | Not available |
| Public Health | Doctoral Degree | $143,521 | Not available |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's Degree | $129,978 | Not available |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | Master's Degree | $127,546 | Not available |
| Behavioral Sciences | Doctoral Degree | $125,925 | Not available |
| Education, General | Doctoral Degree | $125,405 | Not available |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $117,816 | Not available |
| Area Studies | Master's Degree | $115,583 | Not available |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Master's Degree | $113,887 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $113,503 | Not available |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $108,149 | Not available |
| Biology, General | Doctoral Degree | $106,501 | Not available |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Master's Degree | $102,979 | Not available |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $95,838 | Not available |
| Natural Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $95,507 | $23,681 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Master's Degree | $92,158 | Not available |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $88,307 | Not available |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Master's Degree | $85,062 | Not available |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Master's Degree | $84,831 | Not available |
| Education, General | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $82,596 | Not available |
| Social Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $78,996 | $19,937 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $74,154 | $20,126 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | $72,884 | Not available |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $70,679 | $12,721 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $70,167 | Not available |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | First Professional Degree | $63,549 | Not available |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Master's Degree | $61,789 | Not available |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $50,428 | Not available |
| Museology/Museum Studies | Master's Degree | $49,683 | Not available |
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.