College ROI

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Central Lakes College-Brainerd

Brainerd, MN 1,614 Undergrads 42.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,543
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,869
After Aid
Median Earnings
$50,357
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,869
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$50,357
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$42,162
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate42.3%
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 Age24.4
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 Recipients43.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time59.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS65.9%

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
+$536k
+$20k
+$52k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$510k
-$5k
+$26k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$500k
-$16k
+$16k

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
31
∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
40
102%
Full Cost$20k/yr
46
44%
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 Return189%

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-4%
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: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,930
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,117
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,011
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,063
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,476
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,717
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,152
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
CertCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,263
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,315
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,800
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,952
Earnings (4yr)
$69,894
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
+$282k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,559
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
International/Globalization Studies
CertCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,099
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,487
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,654
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $24,479
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$6,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,966
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,760
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,753
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,195
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,688
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,024
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,839
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
AssocCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,169
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$22,888
Natl Median: $33,186
Lifetime Value Added
-$257k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,121
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,304
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,425
Earnings (4yr)
$43,480
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,088
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Median Debt
$19,391
Earnings (4yr)
$77,488
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$278k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
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.