10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$57,024at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
University of Iowa
⌖ Iowa City, IA · 111 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$57,024 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.
12.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
−21%Modeled 10-year ROI
$66,310Observed 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
$22,531Average net price / year
$28,596Cost of attendance
$66,310Median earnings · year 5 after completion
74.6%Completion rate
83.6%Admission rate
22,264Student 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
$47,110Year 1
$69,866Year 4
$66,310Year 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.
1Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences · Graduate/Professional Certificate$309,3522Dentistry · First Professional Degree$172,9433Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$139,6774Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Doctoral Degree$132,3065Business Administration, Management and Operations · Graduate/Professional Certificate$132,1526Finance and Financial Management Services · Graduate/Professional Certificate$131,0867Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$129,3168Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Graduate/Professional Certificate$128,962Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in IA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Ames, IA
Iowa State University
- Annual net price
- $18,589
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $65,176
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -21%
Northwest Iowa Community College
- Annual net price
- $14,800
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,526
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -52%
University of Northern Iowa
- Annual net price
- $15,901
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $52,258
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -70%
Iowa Western Community College
- Annual net price
- $14,629
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,011
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -83%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $309,352 | Not available |
| Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $172,943 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $139,677 | Not available |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $132,306 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $132,152 | Not available |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $131,086 | Not available |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $129,316 | Not available |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $128,962 | Not available |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | First Professional Degree | $127,526 | Not available |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $127,420 | Not available |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $123,753 | Not available |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $123,676 | $20,411 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $115,346 | Not available |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $107,273 | Not available |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $103,005 | Not available |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $101,555 | Not available |
| Chemistry | Doctoral Degree | $100,644 | Not available |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $98,361 | Not available |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $97,329 | $27,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $97,208 | $25,875 |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $95,347 | $22,540 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $92,767 | $22,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $92,485 | Not available |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $91,720 | $21,500 |
| International Business | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $91,117 | $25,407 |
| Chemistry | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $90,234 | Not available |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $89,186 | Not available |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $89,078 | $23,109 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $88,264 | $26,025 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $88,229 | $23,165 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $86,894 | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $85,628 | Not available |
| Journalism | Master's Degree | $84,165 | Not available |
| Insurance | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $83,537 | $21,300 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $83,350 | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $82,411 | $21,738 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $82,088 | Not available |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $81,994 | $25,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $78,836 | $24,811 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Doctoral Degree | $78,276 | Not available |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $77,659 | $23,149 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $76,746 | $22,407 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $74,399 | Not available |
| Personal Awareness and Self-Improvement | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $73,154 | $20,500 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $71,233 | $26,000 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $69,460 | Not available |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $68,601 | $28,000 |
| Philosophy | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $67,892 | Not available |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $67,760 | $24,929 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $67,605 | $23,750 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $66,377 | $27,000 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $66,125 | Not available |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $65,923 | $24,250 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $65,548 | Not available |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $65,072 | $21,626 |
| Psychology, General | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $63,873 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $62,970 | $26,033 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $61,856 | $26,000 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $61,732 | $24,250 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Master's Degree | $61,522 | Not available |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $61,200 | $25,269 |
| Criminology | Bachelor's Degree | $60,947 | $23,250 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $60,737 | $25,814 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $60,450 | $25,512 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $60,227 | $25,956 |
| Dance | Bachelor's Degree | $60,188 | $24,375 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Master's Degree | $59,989 | Not available |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $59,801 | $26,642 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Doctoral Degree | $59,774 | Not available |
| Geography and Cartography | Bachelor's Degree | $59,578 | $23,904 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $59,071 | $24,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $58,371 | Not available |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $58,268 | Not available |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $57,098 | $25,691 |
| Sustainability Studies | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $57,029 | $21,425 |
| Journalism | Bachelor's Degree | $56,933 | $25,907 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $56,786 | $26,260 |
| Library Science and Administration | Master's Degree | $55,946 | Not available |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $54,530 | $23,702 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $54,464 | $24,750 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $53,523 | Not available |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $52,451 | $25,180 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,679 | $22,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's Degree | $51,368 | Not available |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $51,338 | $27,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $51,127 | Not available |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,031 | $24,398 |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $50,180 | $27,783 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $50,154 | $23,375 |
| Music | Master's Degree | $48,460 | Not available |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $47,892 | $25,000 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $47,421 | $25,242 |
| Music | Doctoral Degree | $47,407 | Not available |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $46,819 | $25,978 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $46,614 | $24,862 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $46,063 | $27,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | $46,021 | Not available |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's Degree | $43,469 | Not available |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $43,192 | $27,000 |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $43,083 | $27,000 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $42,549 | $25,696 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $40,434 | $24,386 |
| Museology/Museum Studies | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $40,294 | $21,295 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $30,231 | $26,622 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $25,000 |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $19,500 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $16,500 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,030 |
| Public Health | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $23,438 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $21,500 |
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.