Luther College
Decorah, Iowa
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
9% gap between the two groups
21% gap between the two groups
20% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $12,517 |
| $30k–$48k | $12,835 |
| $48k–$75k | $19,351 |
| $75k–$110k | $22,204 |
| $110k+ | $29,376 |
How Luther College compares
This college against the Iowa and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Luther College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Luther College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Associate's | $117,530 | $27,000 | +1,194% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's | $90,836 | $27,000 | +718% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's | $74,923 | $27,000 | +434% | Strong return |
| Mathematics | Associate's | $67,264 | — | +382% | Strong return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $63,171 | $26,391 | +226% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's | $61,587 | $27,000 | +196% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $56,840 | $27,000 | +111% | Strong return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's | $54,501 | $27,000 | +70% | Strong return |
| Communication and Media Studies | Associate's | $52,931 | $27,000 | +42% | Break-even |
| Psychology, General | Associate's | $51,640 | $25,823 | +19% | Break-even |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Associate's | $48,575 | — | -23% | Poor return |
| History | Associate's | $48,123 | — | -32% | Poor return |
| Music | Associate's | $47,981 | $27,000 | -47% | Poor return |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's | $47,368 | $27,000 | -58% | Poor return |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Associate's | $45,428 | — | -91% | Poor return |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Associate's | $44,471 | $27,000 | -109% | Poor return |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Associate's | $44,246 | — | -116% | Poor return |
| English Language and Literature, General | Associate's | $43,688 | $27,000 | -123% | Poor return |
| International/Globalization Studies | Associate's | $37,587 | — | -261% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Luther College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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