At $39,951/yr net price, Reed College graduates earn $62,927/yr within 10 years of enrollment, which is $28,927/yr above the median for high school graduates.
Cost vs. Outcomes
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Net Price (per year) | $39,951 |
| Estimated 4-Year Cost | $159,804 |
| Median Earnings (10yr post-entry) | $62,927/yr |
| Earnings Premium vs. HS Diploma | +$28,927/yr |
| Estimated Break-Even | 5.5 years |
| Graduation Rate (6-year) | 75.9% |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $21,500 |
What You'll Actually Pay
Average net price by family income
| Family Income | Estimated Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $19,418/yr |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $25,846/yr |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,080/yr |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,552/yr |
| $110,001+ | $53,463/yr |
Earnings by Major
Top programs ranked by median earnings
| Program | Level | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics. | Bachelor | $52,107 | $22,842 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. | Bachelor | $30,409 | $19,250 |
| Fine and Studio Arts. | Bachelor | $28,598 | |
| Biology, General. | Bachelor | $26,739 | |
| English Language and Literature, General. | Bachelor | $18,771 | $19,500 |
| Psychology, General. | Bachelor | $16,874 | $22,594 |
The Risk Factor
75.9% of students at Reed College graduate within 6 years. A significant share of students finish, but roughly 24% do not complete their degree.
Analysis
Reed College asks around $40,000 a year net, and the payoff is mixed. Ten years out, median earnings sit just under $63,000, while median debt stays low at $21,500. You can pay off that debt, but the sticker-to-salary gap means Reed works best if you value what it teaches over what it pays.
Economics is the clear financial winner here, and it's the only bachelor's program on record clearing $50,000 early-career. Everything else drops off hard. Fine and studio arts, biology, and English all land under $30,000 in the first years out, with English near the bottom. If you enroll planning to major in the humanities or lab sciences, know that starting pay will lag your debt for a while, even though Reed's overall debt load is manageable.
The Portland job market rewards Reed's research and grad-school pipeline more than immediate salaries, which shows in these early numbers. Reed sends a lot of people to graduate programs, so early earnings understate the long game for some fields, but the data here only covers the bachelor's outcome.
The income tiers hold a surprise: if your family earns $48,000 to $75,000, you pay about $14,000 a year, less than families earning under $30,000 pay. The $75,000-to-$110,000 tier jumps to roughly $28,000, and above $110,000 you pay the near-full $53,000. Middle-income families can come out ahead of what the sticker suggests. upper-middle families get squeezed hardest relative to the aid they receive.
Reed is a good financial fit if you're aiming at economics or using it as a launch to graduate study and can absorb slow early earnings. If you need a degree that pays quickly and you're in the $75,000-plus income band paying near-full price, look harder at the return before committing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Reed College worth the high tuition cost?
Reed's graduates earn a median of $62,927 ten years after graduation, which is modest given the $40,000 annual net price. The return on investment is weak compared to other selective colleges, especially outside of economics programs.
What Reed College majors have the best job prospects and salaries?
Economics majors earn around $52,000 after graduation, making it the only Reed program with decent earning potential. Liberal arts majors like English ($18,771) and Fine Arts ($28,598) face particularly poor job market outcomes.
How much student debt do Reed College graduates typically have?
Reed graduates carry a median debt of $21,500, which is manageable compared to the national average. However, the low starting salaries in most majors make even this moderate debt burden challenging to repay.
Does Reed College provide enough financial aid to make it affordable?
With a net price of nearly $40,000 per year, Reed remains expensive even after financial aid. The college's aid packages don't adequately offset the poor earnings outcomes for most graduates.