College ROI

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American River College

Sacramento, CA 25,621 Undergrads 25.1% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
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Total Cost
$14,281
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$5,730
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,297
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,730
Peer Midpoint: $9,956
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,297
Peer Midpoint: $51,775
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,544
Peer Midpoint: $45,130
Graduation Rate25.1%
Peer Midpoint: 35.7%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)27.0
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 Recipients24.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time19.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS58.2%

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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$567k
+$43k
+$80k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$556k
+$32k
+$70k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$540k
+$16k
+$54k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
30
662%
Full Cost$14k/yr
33
206%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return494%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

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 Return75%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,899
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
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Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,600
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $37,886
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,319
Natl Median: $50,181
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,320
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,243
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $40,082
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
AssocCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,547
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,241
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,134
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,052
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
AssocCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $41,311
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$18,315
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
-$279k
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Real Estate
AssocCIP: 5215
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,327
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$122,386
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$697k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,755
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,731
Natl Median: $43,146
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sociology
AssocCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,144
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,141
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
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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.