10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$111,686at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Western Connecticut State University
Danbury, CT · 24 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 23 · Federal debt reported for 21
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$111,686 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
18.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−45%Estimated return after 10 years
$58,873Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
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: $9,282 housing and food allowance plus $8,232 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−$41,270
$8,000Annual price−$73,270
$16,000Annual price−$105,270
$18,000Current college-wide context−$113,270
$24,000Annual price−$137,270
$32,000Annual price−$169,270
$40,000Annual price−$201,270
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
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
- New England 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
220 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 Connecticut run 4% above 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
$17,604Average net price / year
$24,877Cost of attendance
$24,147Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$256/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$58,873Median earnings · year 5 after completion
51.8%Completion rate
87.0%Admission rate
1,110Average SAT score
3,511Student 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 Western Connecticut State University
What does Western Connecticut State University cost?
Western Connecticut State University reports an average annual net price of $17,604 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Western Connecticut State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $58,873 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Western Connecticut State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $24,147. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Western Connecticut State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 24 field-and-degree records for Western Connecticut State University; 23 report year-4 earnings and 21 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
5,068Students enrolled at any point
4,327Undergraduate students
741Graduate 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
57% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
513 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
62% making progress in repayment after three yearsThree-year repayment progress
Lower income57%
Middle income64%
Higher income69%
Undergraduate student composition
White47%
Black11%
Hispanic30%
Asian4%
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.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$88,374Year 1
$124,051Year 5
$161,007Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 51
$127,147Year 1
$137,023Year 5
$151,312Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Doctoral, professional practice · Broad federal field 13
$134,767Year 1
$154,543Year 5
$148,888Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 51
$83,659Year 1
$89,338Year 5
$106,921Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 13
$66,287Year 1
$81,473Year 5
$102,823Year 10
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 40
$37,984Year 1
$70,527Year 5
$102,104Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$52,701Year 1
$77,734Year 5
$99,857Year 10
History.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 54
$88,123Year 1
$96,354Year 5
$98,592Year 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
$40,889Year 1
$60,346Year 4
$58,873Year 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$118,3242Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$96,4833Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$88,5764Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$81,7685Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$80,8956Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Master's Degree$74,7837Management Information Systems and Services · Bachelor's Degree$72,2918Marketing · Bachelor's Degree$68,490Observed 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.
1Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's Degree · $50,955 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt2Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $118,324 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$24,125federal debt3Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's Degree · $63,218 reported+21%vs same-degree national median$29,875federal debt4Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree · $66,510 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$24,875federal debt5Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's Degree · $74,783 reported+15%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's Degree · $56,882 reported+11%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in CT
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 Haven, CT
Southern Connecticut State University
- Annual net price
- $20,857
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $58,062
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -50%
Central Connecticut State University
- Annual net price
- $16,857
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $63,695
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -24%
Eastern Connecticut State University
- Annual net price
- $21,067
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,034
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -62%
Connecticut State Community College
- Annual net price
- $11,513
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,819
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -79%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 24 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 | $118,324 | $24,125 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $96,483 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $88,576 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $81,768 | $22,000 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $80,895 | $25,375 | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $74,783 | Not available | 2 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $72,291 | $23,670 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $68,490 | $23,535 | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $66,878 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $66,510 | $24,875 | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $63,218 | $29,875 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $58,337 | Not available | 1 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $56,882 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $56,058 | $24,527 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $52,458 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $52,385 | $25,069 | Not reported |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $50,955 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $50,410 | $24,622 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $49,967 | $27,500 | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $43,257 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $40,555 | $26,782 | Not reported |
| Leisure and Recreational Activities | Bachelor's Degree | $39,609 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $35,889 | $26,025 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $21,000 | 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.