10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$109,058at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Lake Superior State University
⌖ Sault Ste Marie, MI · 11 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$109,058 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.
18.9 yrsModeled economic break-even
−47%Modeled 10-year ROI
$57,223Observed 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
$12,822Average net price / year
$27,154Cost of attendance
$57,223Median earnings · year 5 after completion
51.0%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
1,325Student 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
$42,685Year 1
$56,687Year 4
$57,223Year 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.
1Mechanical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$90,2162Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$70,9593Homeland Security · Associate's Degree$65,7384Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$60,1675Criminal Justice and Corrections · Bachelor's Degree$58,2866Criminal Justice and Corrections · Associate's Degree$57,8947Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences · Bachelor's Degree$56,9058Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$53,396Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in MI
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
University Center, MI
Saginaw Valley State University
- Annual net price
- $10,775
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,681
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -48%
Grand Valley State University
- Annual net price
- $16,317
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,856
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -52%
Western Michigan University
- Annual net price
- $15,273
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,173
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -41%
Eastern Michigan University
- Annual net price
- $15,407
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,310
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -57%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $90,216 | $26,901 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $70,959 | $27,000 |
| Homeland Security | Associate's Degree | $65,738 | $21,875 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $60,167 | $24,301 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $58,286 | $22,852 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $57,894 | $14,375 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $56,905 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $53,396 | Not available |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $46,435 | Not available |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $44,090 | $25,250 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $38,997 | $16,881 |
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.