10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$99,362at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI · 77 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 75 · Federal debt reported for 54
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$99,362 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
17.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−41%Estimated return after 10 years
$59,173Observed 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: $12,174 housing and food allowance plus $2,697 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−$38,270
$8,000Annual price−$70,270
$15,000Current college-wide context−$98,270
$16,000Current college-wide context−$102,270
$24,000Annual price−$134,270
$32,000Annual price−$166,270
$40,000Annual price−$198,270
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
- Higher Learning Commission
- 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
280 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 Michigan run 4% 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
$15,273Average net price / year
$29,237Cost of attendance
$26,188Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$278/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$59,173Median earnings · year 5 after completion
57.6%Completion rate
84.6%Admission rate
24ACT midpoint
12,568Student 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 Michigan University
What does Western Michigan University cost?
Western Michigan University reports an average annual net price of $15,273 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Western Michigan University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $59,173 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Western Michigan University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $26,188. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Western Michigan University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 77 field-and-degree records for Western Michigan University; 75 report year-4 earnings and 54 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
18,507Students enrolled at any point
14,038Undergraduate students
4,469Graduate 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
55% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
2,068 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
51% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$46,942Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$54,545Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$58,656Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income44%
Middle income56%
Higher income66%
Undergraduate student composition
White68%
Black8%
Hispanic9%
Asian3%
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
$43,987Year 1
$62,885Year 4
$59,173Year 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.
1Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$123,8922Paper Science and Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$102,8253Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$96,0454Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$95,4695Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$94,1776Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Doctoral Degree$94,1357Industrial Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$92,3068Chemical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$91,777Observed 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.
1Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyBachelor's Degree · $64,679 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt2Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsBachelor's Degree · $68,351 reported+23%vs same-degree national median$26,668federal debt3Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · $84,622 reported+18%vs same-degree national median$31,000federal debt4Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's Degree · $58,634 reported+14%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt5DanceBachelor's Degree · $45,108 reported+13%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt6Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's Degree · $44,694 reported+12%vs same-degree national median$26,950federal debt
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.
Allendale, MI
Grand Valley State University
- Annual net price
- $16,317
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,856
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -52%
Central Michigan University
- Annual net price
- $17,597
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $57,741
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -49%
Eastern Michigan University
- Annual net price
- $15,407
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,310
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -57%
Lake Superior State University
- Annual net price
- $12,822
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $57,223
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -47%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 77 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $123,892 | Not available | Not reported |
| Paper Science and Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $102,825 | $27,379 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $96,045 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $95,469 | $30,707 | Not reported |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $94,177 | $28,021 | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $94,135 | Not available | 11 |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $92,306 | Not available | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $91,777 | $29,000 | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $90,876 | $28,969 | Not reported |
| Air Transportation | Bachelor's Degree | $89,564 | $27,000 | 1 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Bachelor's Degree | $88,746 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $87,477 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $84,622 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $83,449 | $28,850 | Not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $82,740 | $29,875 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $82,190 | Not available | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $78,368 | $29,156 | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $78,328 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $76,335 | Not available | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $76,241 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $75,143 | $27,000 | 5 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $74,566 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's Degree | $73,089 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $72,353 | $26,031 | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $72,299 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $71,870 | $27,000 | 3 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $71,371 | $25,750 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $68,966 | Not available | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $68,351 | $26,668 | 2 |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $67,367 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $66,666 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $64,679 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $64,565 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $64,127 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $62,562 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $61,943 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Master's Degree | $61,613 | Not available | Not reported |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $60,283 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,249 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $58,634 | $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.
Search every Western Michigan University 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.