Degree Dividend
Sourced from federal dataEvery figure datedNo rankings for sale

Lesley University — ROI, Cost & Payback

Private nonprofit · Cambridge, MA · 1,122 students

The verdict

Lesley University charges a net price of $31,152/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $124,608. Graduates earn a median $51,173 ten years after entry, $2,813/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline, clearing the total in 44.3 years — a 20-year net return of $-68,348, a weak return — the cost is hard to justify on earnings alone. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)

Share
$31,152
Net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$51,173
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
44.3 yrs
Payback
Our math, 2026
97%
Admission rate
Scorecard, 2026
Lesley University: cost, earnings and payback
MeasureValueSource
Net price (after aid)$31,152/yrScorecard, 2026
Total net cost (4 yrs)$124,608our math
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry$51,173Scorecard, 2026
Earnings premium over HS baseline$2,813/yrour math
Median debt (completers)$21,000Scorecard, 2026
Payback44.3 yrsour math
20-year net return$-68,348our math

College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.

How we compute this. Payback = total net cost ÷ annual earnings premium, where the premium is median earnings 10 years after entry minus the $48,360 baseline (BLS 2024 median for a high-school-diploma worker 25+). Total net cost = net price × 4 years. We do not discount future dollars. The institution-wide earnings figure blends every major — a specific program's payback can be far better or worse. Full method on the methodology page.