HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Case Western Reserve University vs University of Rochester

Case Western Reserve University clears +$1.28M in 30-year net value, University of Rochester +$34K — both pay off, Case Western Reserve University by +$1.25M.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Case Western Reserve University · Cleveland, OH

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.28M
Total cost of attendance
$331,520
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$74,671
Breaks even by age
50

University of Rochester · Rochester, NY

30-year net value
+$34K
Total cost of attendance
$333,088
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$67,028
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Case Western Reserve University vs University of Rochester: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/case-western-vs-rochester

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Questions

Is Case Western Reserve University or University of Rochester a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Case Western Reserve University clears +$1.28M and University of Rochester +$34K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Case Western Reserve University comes out ahead by +$1.25M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Case Western Reserve University pay off than University of Rochester?
About +$1.25M over a 30-year horizon (+$1.28M vs +$34K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Case Western Reserve University?
+$1.28M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $331,520, median earnings ten years out $74,671, breaking even around age 50. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.