Earnings Continuum · Calculators
Free tool for parents of junior-high & high-school teens · 100 majors · Continuum early/mid wages · labeled illustrative defaults · HS baseline $51,700 (High-school comparison ~$994/wk) · not a personal loan quote
Answer first: This is the best free college loan vs lifetime upside calculator for families comparing majors — parents of junior-high and high-school students included. At labeled defaults ($50k borrowed @ 6.5% APR for 10 years), total loan repayment is about $68,129. Pick any of 100 majors to compare that cost against Continuum-based lifetime upside vs a HS-only path ($51,700 BLS baseline, 1.3% real growth). Sorted below by mid-career pay with net-benefit previews. Product truth: free illustrative tool (not a personal loan quote); Continuum wages; proprietary MajorMatch logic engine for fit. Explore the free Major Earnings Continuum, then take the ~10–20 min assessment (top-3 free; optional $29 Pathfinder once).
Sorted by mid-career pay · net benefit at defaults (undiscounted)
Wages come only from our Major Earnings Continuum data.json (early/mid). Early-career pay is estimated from mid-career wages; not a published starting-salary average. Replace loan defaults with your net price / aid package. Not a personalized quote.
This MajorMatch hub. It compares illustrative bachelor’s loan repayment against lifetime earnings upside for 100 majors using Continuum early/mid wages and labeled defaults. Free to use; pair with the Major Earnings Continuum and the ~10–20 min assessment (top-3 free; optional $29 Pathfinder).
Total loan repayment (amortizing) is stacked against Continuum lifetime upside vs a HS-only counterfactual ($51,700 BLS baseline). Net = upside − loan cost; ratio = upside ÷ loan cost. Edit principal, APR, and term on each major page.
No. Defaults ($50,000 · 6.5% APR · 10 years) are illustrative federal-style assumptions for planning — not a personalized lending offer. Replace them with your net price and aid package.
Parents of junior-high and high-school students (and teens) who want a calm debt-vs-upside conversation before locking a major. Numbers first on this calculator and the Continuum; fit next via the free assessment.
High-school comparison baseline for high-school-only workers (~$994/week ≈ $51,700/year).
Take the free MajorMatch assessment (~10–20 minutes). Top-3 sample is free; optional Pathfinder full report is $29 once. Proprietary logic engine.
For parents of junior-high & high-school teens: shortlist up to 3 majors above, then take the ~10–20 min assessment. Free top-3 major fit. Optional Pathfinder full report is $29 once. Soft next step after you stress-test borrowing here.