re: 1 out of 4 bachelor degrees and nearly half of masters degrees have a negative ROI

It's going to depend on the school and the degree. For example, someone getting a Bachelors in Criminal Justice from USC (~$95k/year for out-of-state, and that's for tuition and all fees) is less likely to get as good a return as someone getting the same degree from ULM (~$25k/year).

Also, anything from a Liberal Arts curriculum with the word "studies" at the end of it is likely going to generate a negative ROI regardless of whichever school you go to.