Return on Investment
Less than 24 months: that’s how long, on average, it will take for students who completed the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) this year to recover the cost of attending (tuition and fees) and the year of lost earnings based on their pre-entry salary. In investment terms, that’s the payback period: the length of time it takes for the cumulative gains from an investment to equal the cumulative cost. Ideally, investors—in this case students—would like the shortest possible payback period on their investment. Shorter payback periods generally have lower inherent risks.
High starting salaries, modest tuition, and short time-to-completion translates into a payback period for MSA students that is half the average of what is realized in comparable 2-year professional degree programs. The Institute is keenly focused on delivering a high ROI for its students. Graduate education is expensive—not just the tuition, but also the lost wages while in school. The Institute has shown that a properly designed intensive learning experience can significantly enhance future earning potential. For the right student, the MSA is one of the best educational investments you can make.
|
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ANALYTICS RETURN ON INVESTMENT
|
||||
| NC Resident | Non-Resident | |||
|
Number of Respondents:
|
66 | 41 | ||
|
Median Pre-MSA Salary:
|
$50,000 | $50,000 | ||
|
(+) Tuition and Fees:
|
$26,000 | $44,500 | ||
|
(–) Signing Bonus:
|
$7,500 | $7,500 | ||
|
Total Investment:
|
$68,500 | $87,000 | ||
|
Average Post-MSA Salary:
|
$90,000 | $95,000 | ||
|
(–) Pre-MSA Salary
|
$50,000 | $50,000 | ||
|
Net MSA Salary Increase:
|
$40,000 | $45,000 | ||
|
Payback Period (months):
|
21 | 23 | ||
|
Net 3-Year ROI:
|
$127,500 | $142,500 | ||
About the Survey:
Notes: The response rate was 100-percent. Respondents provided information about their pre- and post-MSA annual base salaries, signing bonuses, and residency status (which determines tuition payments). Sixty-two percent of respondents were NC residents, and 52- percent were employed full-time prior to entry. The median salary increase was $39,480; all but one respondent reported an increase in salary. The ROI payback period calculated for each of 107 candidates employed by graduation, based on their individual circumstances (residency, tuition, pre- and post-salaries, and signing bonuses), yielded a median payback period of 24 months.
Students are assumed to forgo one-year of earning, even though the MSA program is only 10-months in duration. The average pre-MSA salary is estimated based on those candidates working full-time prior to entry in the program. Pre-MSA salaries ranged from $30,000 to $147,000. Candidates without prior work experience are estimated to have foregone an annual salary of $49,250, which is an estimated based on reported salary data for candidates with 1-2 years of prior work experience.
The payback calculation does not take into consideration interest incurred by students who borrow to finance their education. Thirty-seven percent of students took on debt to pay tuition, borrowing a median of $28,870. The average ratio of starting base salary to debt was 3:1.
