10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$81,348at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Portland State University
⌖ Portland, OR · 76 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$81,348 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.
15.9 yrsModeled economic break-even
−37%Modeled 10-year ROI
$58,686Observed 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
$9,552Average net price / year
$21,590Cost of attendance
$58,686Median earnings · year 5 after completion
52.7%Completion rate
90.9%Admission rate
13,182Student 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
$41,313Year 1
$62,060Year 4
$58,686Year 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.
1Computer Science · Master's Degree$145,7152Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Master's Degree$139,2743Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$123,2814Real Estate · Master's Degree$117,8215Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$113,8896Finance and Financial Management Services · Master's Degree$113,4597Mechanical Engineering · Master's Degree$107,0778Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$101,905Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in OR
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
The Dalles, OR
Columbia Gorge Community College
- Annual net price
- $10,416
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,867
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -33%
Portland Community College
- Annual net price
- $10,405
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,810
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -78%
Clackamas Community College
- Annual net price
- $7,855
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,557
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -88%
Mt Hood Community College
- Annual net price
- $7,821
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,418
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -89%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Master's Degree | $145,715 | Not available |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's Degree | $139,274 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $123,281 | Not available |
| Real Estate | Master's Degree | $117,821 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $113,889 | $31,000 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $113,459 | Not available |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $107,077 | Not available |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $101,905 | $29,593 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $99,801 | Not available |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $94,223 | $29,113 |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $93,150 | Not available |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $87,488 | $29,070 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $86,084 | $31,000 |
| Taxation | Master's Degree | $81,454 | Not available |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Master's Degree | $80,453 | Not available |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $79,727 | $20,570 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | $79,598 | Not available |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $77,226 | $31,000 |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $77,091 | Not available |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $76,980 | Not available |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $76,554 | Not available |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $75,765 | $25,000 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $75,482 | $24,949 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's Degree | $73,504 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $71,621 | $25,000 |
| Architecture | Master's Degree | $71,002 | Not available |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $70,948 | $24,773 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $70,765 | $20,250 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $68,280 | $26,480 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $68,274 | $25,460 |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $67,504 | Not available |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $63,456 | $25,624 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $63,168 | Not available |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $63,034 | Not available |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $62,874 | Not available |
| Architecture | Bachelor's Degree | $62,349 | $25,000 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $61,499 | $19,500 |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $61,014 | Not available |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,961 | $19,750 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $59,563 | $23,907 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $59,232 | $24,582 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $59,185 | $23,818 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $58,961 | $29,250 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $58,860 | $27,000 |
| Publishing | Master's Degree | $58,153 | Not available |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $58,109 | $26,641 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $57,932 | $24,125 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $57,438 | $16,500 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $57,303 | $27,500 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $56,436 | $24,250 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $56,158 | $26,995 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $54,934 | $25,750 |
| Geography and Cartography | Bachelor's Degree | $54,310 | $26,500 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $54,131 | $31,000 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $53,753 | $25,000 |
| Social Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $52,562 | $31,000 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $51,925 | $29,671 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $51,248 | Not available |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | Bachelor's Degree | $51,066 | $22,250 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $50,949 | $30,250 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $50,427 | $23,334 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $50,241 | $19,416 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $50,191 | $24,072 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,063 | $24,499 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $45,692 | $39,773 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $43,342 | $24,546 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Master's Degree | $43,242 | Not available |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's Degree | $43,137 | Not available |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $41,759 | $23,500 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $41,639 | $25,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $40,731 | $35,125 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $39,563 | $25,500 |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $34,160 | $27,846 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,500 |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $35,166 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $36,850 |
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.