10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$411,184at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · 67 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 65 · Federal debt reported for 25
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Strong payoff
+$411,184 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
4.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+139%Estimated return after 10 years
$115,598Observed earnings · year 5
$131,495Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $102,796 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: $18,360 housing and food allowance plus $3,070 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+$525,980
$20,000Annual price+$445,980
$29,000Current college-wide context+$409,980
$40,000Annual price+$365,980
$60,000Annual price+$285,980
$80,000Annual price+$205,980
$100,000Annual price+$125,980
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students study without distance-education courses.
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
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
763 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
$28,699Average net price / year
$89,028Cost of attendance
$15,715Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$167/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$115,598Median earnings · year 5 after completion
96.5%Completion rate
5.4%Admission rate
1,553Average SAT score
34ACT midpoint
10,650Student 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 University of Pennsylvania
What does University of Pennsylvania cost?
University of Pennsylvania reports an average annual net price of $28,699 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do University of Pennsylvania graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $115,598 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do University of Pennsylvania graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $15,715. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at University of Pennsylvania worth the same?
No. The current release contains 67 field-and-degree records for University of Pennsylvania; 65 report year-4 earnings and 25 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
32,623Students enrolled at any point
13,046Undergraduate students
19,577Graduate 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
95% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
422 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
77% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$90,516Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$110,119Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$125,064Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income73%
Middle income82%
Higher income90%
Undergraduate student composition
White27%
Black9%
Hispanic11%
Asian28%
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.
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
$86,069Year 1
$124,586Year 4
$115,598Year 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.
1Finance and Financial Management Services · Master's Degree$316,1952Law · First Professional Degree$302,1203Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$272,3214Marketing · Master's Degree$255,3575International/Globalization Studies · Master's Degree$253,6316Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations · Master's Degree$252,7297Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other · Master's Degree$250,3928Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$246,660Observed 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.
1MarketingMaster's Degree · $255,357 reported+223%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherMaster's Degree · $250,392 reported+207%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3International/Globalization StudiesMaster's Degree · $253,631 reported+194%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyMaster's Degree · $237,136 reported+187%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Finance and Financial Management ServicesMaster's Degree · $316,195 reported+186%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6LawFirst Professional Degree · $302,120 reported+180%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in PA
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.
Pittsburgh, PA
Carnegie Mellon University
- Annual net price
- $31,944
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $121,367
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +148%
Lehigh University
- Annual net price
- $36,931
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $101,331
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +72%
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
- Annual net price
- $29,689
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $87,323
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +42%
Villanova University
- Annual net price
- $43,756
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $98,831
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +52%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 67 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $316,195 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $302,120 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $272,321 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Master's Degree | $255,357 | Not available | Not reported |
| International/Globalization Studies | Master's Degree | $253,631 | Not available | Not reported |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Master's Degree | $252,729 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Master's Degree | $250,392 | Not available | Not reported |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $246,660 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $241,380 | $15,000 | 1 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Master's Degree | $237,136 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $233,999 | Not available | 0 |
| Real Estate | Master's Degree | $230,624 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $222,544 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $202,069 | $12,865 | 0 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $176,358 | Not available | 52 |
| Dentistry | Doctoral Degree | $173,344 | Not available | 205 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $171,744 | Not available | 40 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $169,879 | $19,875 | 191 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $153,279 | $15,750 | 0 |
| Computer Science | Master's Degree | $147,612 | Not available | Not reported |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Doctoral Degree | $139,980 | Not available | 49 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Master's Degree | $138,964 | Not available | Not reported |
| Veterinary Medicine | First Professional Degree | $137,005 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $136,806 | $20,348 | 0 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Master's Degree | $132,238 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $129,985 | $14,000 | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $126,419 | $15,593 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $124,042 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Master's Degree | $119,258 | Not available | 0 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $114,492 | $12,455 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $114,266 | $15,637 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $112,211 | $17,412 | Not reported |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | Master's Degree | $112,127 | Not available | 0 |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $109,884 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Cognitive Science | Bachelor's Degree | $109,784 | $18,660 | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $107,454 | $18,500 | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $106,399 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $104,073 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $102,306 | Not available | Not reported |
| Social Work | Doctoral Degree | $101,907 | Not available | 29 |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every University of Pennsylvania program record →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.