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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Nichols College

Dudley, Massachusetts

37
D
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Weak value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Break-even
+$63,877 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.

6.9 yrs
Break-even
+45%
10-year ROI
$65,586
Median earnings as of 2024
81% of Nichols College students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$33,036
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$65,586
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$48,790
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$27,000
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
63%
Graduation rate as of 2024
81%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
76%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
73%
Retention rate as of 2024

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.

$63,877
After 10 years
$269,737
After 20 years
$475,597
After 30 years
$681,457
After 40 years

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.

By gender
Women
$57,500
Men
$57,820

1% gap between the two groups

32%
First-generation students
69%
Take federal student loans
90%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 73%Hispanic 10%Asian 1%Black 8%Other 8%

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 incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$22,054
$30k–$48k$24,749
$48k–$75k$31,978
$75k–$110k$33,851
$110k+$35,731

How Nichols College compares

This college against the Massachusetts and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Nichols College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Nichols 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.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's$84,976$23,250+436%Strong return
Finance and Financial Management ServicesAssociate's$77,546$25,522+332%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$97,885$29,640+270%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$72,053$27,000+256%Strong return
Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's$65,586$19,000+182%Strong return
MarketingAssociate's$64,655$26,949+159%Strong return
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's$62,128$27,000+126%Strong return
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's$58,826$27,000+82%Strong return
Psychology, GeneralAssociate's$46,367-79%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Nichols College

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

81%
Admission rate
1,140
Average SAT
23
Median ACT
1,163
Undergraduates

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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