College ROI

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Alexandria Technical & Community College

Alexandria, MN 1,533 Undergrads 63.8% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$18,698
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,691
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,377
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,691
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,377
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$49,393
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate63.8%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Average Starting Age23.1
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients32.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time67.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 2 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$623k
+$107k
+$138k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$598k
+$82k
+$113k
Full Cost$19k/yr
+$589k
+$73k
+$104k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
Median Cost$14k/yr
28
451%
Full Cost$19k/yr
29
303%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return679%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return117%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,053
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,397
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,981
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,484
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,538
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$7,464
Earnings (4yr)
$55,989
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,946
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,369
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,421
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,559
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,682
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,292
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,066
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$185k
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,165
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,919
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$246k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,107
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,995
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,799
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,411
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
$8,250
Earnings (4yr)
$42,774
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,050
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,002
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,476
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,696
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,688
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$307k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.