How CollegeLens builds the Program ROI Score

Program ROI Score is a directional graduate-school metric. It compares total program cost with a field-aware post-grad earnings baseline, then estimates whether the likely monthly payment still looks workable in the early repayment years.

The numerator starts with tuition and required cost assumptions, then subtracts employer reimbursement, assistantship offsets, and personal cash inputs where available. The federal-first borrowing path is used as the default comparison case because it preserves Direct Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS protections.

The salary denominator uses field-based median earnings and can be refined by industry track. That means an MBA borrower can pressure-test finance, consulting, or tech paths without pretending those outcomes all carry the same compensation profile.

Program ROI Score is not a promise of earnings or admission outcomes. It is a decision aid that helps you compare graduate options using a consistent set of assumptions before you commit to a borrowing path.