College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Cabrillo College

Aptos, CA 8,002 Undergrads 26.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$24,966
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,843
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,586
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,843
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,586
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,114
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate26.0%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age24.0
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 Recipients26.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time34.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS57.4%

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
+$577k
+$62k
+$93k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$548k
+$32k
+$64k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$531k
+$16k
+$47k

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
27
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
32
219%
Full Cost$25k/yr
36
102%
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 Return294%

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 Return15%
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)
$48,706
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,576
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$113,277
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$701k
Anthropology
CertCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,525
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
CertCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,098
Natl Median: $52,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,930
Natl Median: $42,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,690
Natl Median: $60,097
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Chemistry
CertCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,531
Natl Median: $43,761
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
CertCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,690
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
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)
$43,801
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,932
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Dance
CertCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $28,839
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$84,260
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$420k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,337
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
CertCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,354
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,144
Natl Median: $79,019
Lifetime Value Added
+$428k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $29,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,315
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,104
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,448
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,130
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
CertCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$31,708
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,052
Natl Median: $36,390
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,583
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
CertCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,137
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$7,507
Earnings (4yr)
$50,226
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Mathematics
CertCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,420
Natl Median: $81,646
Lifetime Value Added
+$363k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,699
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
CertCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,318
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
CertCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,871
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
CertCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,759
Natl Median: $78,502
Lifetime Value Added
+$386k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
CertCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,847
Natl Median: $45,285
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$122,830
Natl Median: $80,020
Lifetime Value Added
+$793k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,914
Natl Median: $53,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Sociology
CertCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,652
Natl Median: $50,205
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,719
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
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.