The 2027–28 FAFSA opened Sept. 23, 2026. File early for first-come state aid, then price what its school-level earnings flag can't: major and finishing.

Graduate-cohort-weighted median program ROI +$874K. Never-break-even programs: 2.3% of observed cohort weight. FREOPP 2021.

Four regional compacts cut out-of-state tuition and none match: ACM hands over the in-state rate, WUE caps at 150%, New England at 175%. Who qualifies.

Auto pay on federal Direct Loans cuts the rate a full point through June 2028 if you enroll by 11:59 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2026. The fine print, sourced.

Pennsylvania's four-year colleges by 30-year payoff at resident pricing: Carnegie Mellon University leads at +$4.73M.

Education: mean lifetime ROI +$121,114, median +$126,853, 23.1% never break even. FREOPP 2021, 1,632 programs.

Communication Sciences & Disorders: mean lifetime ROI −$180,747, median −$179,917, 87.6% never break even. FREOPP 2021, 154 programs.

Ohio's four-year colleges by 30-year payoff at resident pricing: Marietta College leads at +$3.91M.

We ran the 30-year math on 3,392 U.S. colleges. Just over one in four four-year schools with real earnings coverage comes out negative at in-state prices.

Both pay off: North Carolina State University +$2.22M vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill +$1.59M over 30 years. Gap +$632K, at in-state.

Health and Nursing: mean lifetime ROI +$775,786, median +$802,488, 6.8% never break even. FREOPP 2021, 2,285 programs.

Economics: mean lifetime ROI +$638,790, median +$511,467, 1.9% never break even. FREOPP 2021, 440 programs.

Best-value four-year colleges in every state + DC at resident pricing, plus the willing-to-move list: California Institute of Technology clears +$10.06M.

8 public universities carry a $1M+ out-of-state penalty. At University of Michigan-Ann Arbor the residency line costs $1.42M over 30 years.

Biology: mean lifetime ROI +$103,625, median +$115,492, 29.7% never break even. FREOPP 2021, 955 programs.

Two bachelor’s major categories lose money on average, ranked on FREOPP’s published lifetime ROI. $1.2M swing from a money-losing category to the best.

The 30-year NPV model behind our college-ROI numbers: the FREOPP / IPEDS / BEA spine, every default assumption, and the limitations we publish.

New Jersey's four-year colleges by 30-year payoff at resident pricing: Thomas Edison State University leads at +$3.93M.

Engineering: mean lifetime ROI +$1,132,553, median +$1,125,922, 0% never break even. FREOPP 2021, 2,183 programs.

Two bachelor’s major categories lose money on average, ranked on FREOPP’s published lifetime ROI. $1.24M swing from worst to best.

Texas's four-year colleges by 30-year payoff at resident pricing: Rice University leads at +$2.89M.

College ROI calculator: 30-year net present value against skipping college and investing the difference — not a payback shortcut. Free, no account.

We ran the 30-year math on 3,392 U.S. colleges. Just over one in four four-year schools with real earnings coverage comes out negative at in-state prices.

Social Work: mean lifetime ROI +$34,150, median +$37,672, 36.3% never break even. FREOPP 2021, 435 programs.

Philosophy and Religious Studies bachelor's degrees: mean lifetime ROI −$111,915, median −$81,669, 59.8% of graduates never break even. FREOPP 2021 data, 439 programs. No school named — run yours.

Health and Nursing bachelor's degrees: mean lifetime ROI +$775,786, median +$802,488, 6.8% of graduates never break even. FREOPP 2021 data, 2,285 programs. No school named — run yours.

Public Administration and Human Services bachelor's degrees: mean lifetime ROI +$199,831, median +$166,271, 15.6% of graduates never break even. FREOPP 2021 data, 2,190 programs. No school named — run yours.

Every U.S. bachelor's major category by FREOPP's lifetime-ROI numbers: mean, median, spread, % who never break even, break-even age. 19 categories, ~29,700 programs, FREOPP 2021.

What 115 college-major subfields reveal that 19 categories hide: a $1.22M spread inside one category label, a construction degree beating every engineering subfield, and a health major that loses money for 87.6% of its graduates. FREOPP 2021 data, no school named.

Every U.S. bachelor's major category by FREOPP's lifetime-ROI numbers: mean, median, spread, % who never break even, break-even age. 19 categories, ~29,700 programs, FREOPP 2021.

Every U.S. bachelor's major category by FREOPP's lifetime-ROI numbers: mean, median, spread, % who never break even, break-even age. 19 categories, ~29,700 programs, FREOPP 2021.

Psychology bachelor's degrees: mean lifetime ROI +$68,424, median +$63,059, 27.9% of graduates never break even. FREOPP 2021 data, 1,238 programs. No school named — run yours.

Engineering bachelor's degrees: mean lifetime ROI +$1,132,553, median +$1,125,922, 0% of graduates never break even. FREOPP 2021 data, 2,183 programs. No school named — run yours.

Virginia's four-year colleges ranked by 30-year payoff at resident pricing. University of Virginia-Main Campus leads at +$2.63M. 26 of 39 schools with real earnings coverage clear zero. FREOPP + IPEDS + BEA, citable inline.

Florida out-of-state tuition runs a median $11,994/yr vs $3,246/yr in-state across 25 public universities. At University of Florida the residency line costs $758K over 30 years, same school, same degree. IPEDS + FREOPP + BEA.

Texas's four-year colleges ranked by 30-year payoff at resident pricing. Rice University leads at +$2.89M. 57 of 68 schools with real earnings coverage clear zero. FREOPP + IPEDS + BEA, citable inline.

At University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, crossing a state line costs you $1.42M over 30 years — same school, same degree, just non-resident tuition. 8 public universities carry a $1M+ out-of-state penalty. Ranked from IPEDS + FREOPP + BEA.

Montana's four-year colleges ranked by 30-year payoff at resident pricing. Montana Technological University leads at +$5.27M. 8 of 9 schools with real earnings coverage clear zero. FREOPP + IPEDS + BEA, citable inline.

Two bachelor’s major categories lose money on average and a third of some popular ones come out behind — ranked by FREOPP’s own published lifetime-ROI number. $1.24M swing from worst to best. No school named.

Massachusetts's four-year colleges ranked by 30-year payoff at resident pricing. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads at +$5.63M. 41 of 58 schools with real earnings coverage clear zero. FREOPP + IPEDS + BEA, citable inline.

New York's four-year colleges ranked by 30-year payoff at resident pricing. SUNY Maritime College leads at +$5.71M. 74 of 112 schools with real earnings coverage clear zero. FREOPP + IPEDS + BEA, citable inline.

California's four-year colleges ranked by 30-year payoff at resident pricing. California Institute of Technology leads at +$10.06M. 60 of 91 schools with real earnings coverage clear zero. FREOPP + IPEDS + BEA, citable inline.

What 115 college-major subfields reveal that 19 categories hide: a $1.22M spread inside one category label, a construction degree beating every engineering subfield, and a health major that loses money for 87.6% of its graduates. FREOPP 2021 data, no school named.

Every number on LE TEEN as a free JSON API: 30-year NPV for 500 U.S. colleges, lifetime ROI for 134 majors, the standing rankings. No key, no signup, CORS-open, CC BY 4.0. OpenAPI 3.1 spec included.

What 115 college-major subfields reveal that 19 categories hide: a $1.22M spread inside one category label, a construction degree beating every engineering subfield, and a health major that loses money for 87.6% of its graduates. FREOPP 2021 data, no school named.