College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Carrington College-San Jose

San Jose, CA 644 Undergrads 76.1% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$41,194
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$36,466
After Aid
Median Earnings
$47,661
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$36,466
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$47,661
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$39,633
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate76.1%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Average Starting Age25.5
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 Recipients49.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time100.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.1%

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
+$509k
-$6k
+$25k
Median Cost$36k/yr
+$442k
-$73k
-$42k
Full Cost$41k/yr
+$434k
-$82k
-$51k

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
37
∞
Median Cost$36k/yr
Never
-63%
Full Cost$41k/yr
Never
-67%
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 Return-28%

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 Return-69%
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
$9,112
Earnings (4yr)
$42,042
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,130
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$361k
Median Debt
$8,975
Earnings (4yr)
$41,061
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
$9,442
Earnings (4yr)
$41,267
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
$17,375
Earnings (4yr)
$75,305
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$314k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,066
Earnings (4yr)
$49,294
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Median Debt
$29,523
Earnings (4yr)
$83,986
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$295k
Median Debt
$18,941
Earnings (4yr)
$112,176
Natl Median: $62,755
Lifetime Value Added
+$547k
Median Debt
$19,484
Earnings (4yr)
$44,873
Natl Median: $41,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k

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.