College ROI

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Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, WI 4,272 Undergrads 54.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$16,986
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,285
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,493
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,285
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,493
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$46,297
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate54.9%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Average Starting Age24.9
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 Recipients34.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time43.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.5%

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
+$605k
+$89k
+$121k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$582k
+$67k
+$98k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$574k
+$58k
+$89k

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$12k/yr
28
435%
Full Cost$17k/yr
30
287%
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 Return648%

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 Return111%
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
$9,994
Earnings (4yr)
$40,138
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Median Debt
$8,281
Earnings (4yr)
$57,830
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,011
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,920
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$8,174
Earnings (4yr)
$34,901
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,512
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$280k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,647
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$86,785
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$448k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,082
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
+$196k
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,275
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
$11,843
Earnings (4yr)
$68,487
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
+$270k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,562
Earnings (4yr)
$65,043
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$236k
Median Debt
$9,250
Earnings (4yr)
$56,289
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,511
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,064
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,729
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,747
Natl Median: $47,825
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,832
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Median Debt
$13,750
Earnings (4yr)
$75,000
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$258k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,564
Natl Median: $61,266
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,944
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
$22,304
Earnings (4yr)
$49,203
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,719
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,189
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Median Debt
$11,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,028
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,431
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,758
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
$13,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,381
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,148
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,315
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,017
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,989
Earnings (4yr)
$48,882
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,730
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$13,090
Earnings (4yr)
$45,268
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,709
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Plant Sciences
AssocCIP: 0111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,309
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,074
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,700
Earnings (4yr)
$73,255
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$32,363
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k

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.