City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College

Chicago, IL 4,207 Undergrads 23.0% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$14,726

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$7,397

After Aid

Median Earnings

$45,722

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$7,397

Peer Midpoint: $9,847

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$45,722

Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5

Graduation Rate23.0%

Peer Midpoint: 34.6%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients49.5%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time45.2%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS49.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

100.0%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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

+$490k

-$25k

+$6k

Median Cost$7k/yr

+$476k

-$39k

-$8k

Full Cost$15k/yr

+$463k

-$53k

-$21k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$7k/yr

Never

-58%

Full Cost$15k/yr

Never

-79%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
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 Return-28%

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 Return-43%

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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Certificates

Accounting and Related Services

CertCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,589

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Finance and Financial Management Services

CertCIP: 5208

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,418

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

CertCIP: 1907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $31,135

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Resources Management and Services

CertCIP: 5210

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $61,907

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

AssocCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $47,660

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Architectural Sciences and Technology

AssocCIP: 0409

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,403

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biological and Physical Sciences

AssocCIP: 3001

Median Debt

$6,125

Earnings (4yr)

$51,025

Natl Median: $50,181

Lifetime Value Added

+$44k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

AssocCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,733

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer and Information Sciences, General

AssocCIP: 1101

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $54,246

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Criminal Justice and Corrections

AssocCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,706

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1513

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,895

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering, General

AssocCIP: 1401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $72,916

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

AssocCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $31,650

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Graphic Communications

AssocCIP: 1003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,221

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

AssocCIP: 1907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,184

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Legal Support Services

AssocCIP: 2203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,669

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$5,000

Earnings (4yr)

$44,635

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

-$19k

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions

AssocCIP: 5115

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $40,734

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

AssocCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,056

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Work

AssocCIP: 4407

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,409

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Accounting and Related Services

PB-CertCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $86,165

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Other Programs

Accounting and Related Services

DegCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,933

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biological and Physical Sciences

DegCIP: 3001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,890

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Criminal Justice and Corrections

DegCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $62,717

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians

DegCIP: 1513

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,652

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering, General

DegCIP: 1401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $103,568

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Hospitality Administration/Management

DegCIP: 5209

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,262

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

DegCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$51,022

Natl Median: $56,308

Lifetime Value Added

-$304k

Social Work

DegCIP: 4407

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,628

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.