College ROI

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Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, WI 4,272 Undergrads 55.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$17,301
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,151
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,752
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,151
Peer Midpoint: $17,726
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,752
Peer Midpoint: $36,184
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$50,674
Peer Midpoint: $36,543
Graduation Rate55.5%
Peer Midpoint: 69.9%
Average Starting Age24.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time43.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 1 Year 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
+$670k
+$266k
+$183k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$658k
+$254k
+$172k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$654k
+$249k
+$167k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
21
∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
22
1526%
Full Cost$17k/yr
22
1042%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return2111%

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 Return428%
Warning: Read this ROI with care. Most awards here are certificates, so the model prices a one-year program. The earnings figure covers every graduate, including those who finished longer associate programs that pay more. That mix can make the NPV, Social ROI and Pell ROI look much higher than a typical certificate student will see.

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)
$40,138
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
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Median Debt
$9,751
Earnings (4yr)
$57,830
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
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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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$22,192
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$216k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,625
Earnings (4yr)
$34,901
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
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Median Debt
$8,629
Earnings (4yr)
$69,512
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$283k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,647
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
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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
+$451k
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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
+$198k
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Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,275
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$241k
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Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,487
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
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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
$10,740
Earnings (4yr)
$65,043
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
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Median Debt
$7,625
Earnings (4yr)
$56,289
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,511
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$6,550
Earnings (4yr)
$51,064
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
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Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$16,100
Earnings (4yr)
$55,729
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,602
Earnings (4yr)
$46,832
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
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Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (4yr)
$75,000
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$261k
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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
+$148k
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Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,944
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,203
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $56,729
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,719
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
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Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
$10,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,189
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
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Median Debt
$12,373
Earnings (4yr)
$58,028
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
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Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,431
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,758
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,381
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$256k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
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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
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,882
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,730
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
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Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$15,119
Earnings (4yr)
$45,268
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,321
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: $53,309
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,914
Earnings (4yr)
$73,255
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$246k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,363
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
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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.