10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$26,760at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley
Center Valley, PA · 18 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 18 · Federal debt reported for 18
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$26,760 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
9.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+11%Estimated return after 10 years
$72,964Observed earnings · year 5
$24,910Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $6,690 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
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.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $15,274 housing and food allowance plus $5,020 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$99,640
$8,000Annual price+$67,640
$16,000Annual price+$35,640
$18,000Current college-wide context+$27,640
$24,000Annual price+$3,640
$32,000Annual price−$28,360
$40,000Annual price−$60,360
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
49 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Pennsylvania run 2% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$18,220Average net price / year
$28,109Cost of attendance
$25,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$265/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$72,964Median earnings · year 5 after completion
17.8%Completion rate
97.4%Admission rate
1,210Average SAT score
859Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley
What does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley cost?
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley reports an average annual net price of $18,220 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $72,964 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $25,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley worth the same?
No. The current release contains 18 field-and-degree records for Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley; 18 report year-4 earnings and 18 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
1,010Students enrolled at any point
1,009Undergraduate students
1Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
18% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
7,968 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
61% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$52,313Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$60,610Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$73,464Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income52%
Middle income67%
Higher income80%
Undergraduate student composition
White50%
Black8%
Hispanic21%
Asian12%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$51,441Year 1
$60,761Year 5
$94,869Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$56,877Year 1
$67,570Year 5
$79,787Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 13
$34,211Year 1
$56,170Year 5
$63,451Year 10
Clinical Psychology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 42
$36,019Year 1
$54,051Year 5
$55,935Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$54,468Year 1
$76,659Year 4
$72,964Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$120,7292Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$102,8743Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$96,7144Information Science/Studies · Bachelor's Degree$91,6715Management Information Systems and Services · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$81,7946Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other · Bachelor's Degree$81,6177Civil Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$81,4038Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's Degree$75,396Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $102,874 reported+96%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt2Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $120,729 reported+31%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt3Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's Degree · $75,396 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt4Management Information Systems and ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $81,794 reported+25%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt5Biological and Biomedical Sciences, OtherBachelor's Degree · $81,617 reported+24%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt6Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $54,654 reported+24%vs same-degree national median$20,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in PA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
New Kensington, PA
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington
- Annual net price
- $18,305
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $72,964
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +10%
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango
- Annual net price
- $18,095
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $72,964
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +11%
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington
- Annual net price
- $18,071
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $72,964
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +11%
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton
- Annual net price
- $17,910
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $72,964
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +11%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 18 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $120,729 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $102,874 | $27,000 | 6 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $96,714 | $25,375 | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $91,671 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $81,794 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $81,617 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $81,403 | $26,838 | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Bachelor's Degree | $75,396 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $73,308 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $71,001 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $65,292 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $63,798 | $24,500 | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Associate's Degree | $61,596 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Business/Corporate Communications | Bachelor's Degree | $55,840 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $54,654 | $20,000 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $51,635 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,543 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs | Bachelor's Degree | $47,620 | $27,000 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
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.