College ROI

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City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College

Chicago, IL 6,409 Undergrads 28.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$14,355
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$7,220
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,665
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$7,220
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$51,665
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+59%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$32,427
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate28.8%
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 Age25.2
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 Recipients56.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time38.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS45.3%

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
+$549k
+$33k
+$64k
Median Cost$7k/yr
+$535k
+$20k
+$51k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$522k
+$7k
+$38k

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
29
∞
Median Cost$7k/yr
32
385%
Full Cost$14k/yr
36
144%
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 Return383%

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 Return52%
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)
$41,102
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,062
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,325
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,363
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $29,652
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,326
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Median Debt
$9,572
Earnings (4yr)
$75,878
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k
Median Debt
$4,800
Earnings (4yr)
$47,500
Natl Median: $50,181
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,686
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$373k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$26,123
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$207k
Median Debt
$6,488
Earnings (4yr)
$43,108
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
$10,000
Earnings (4yr)
$89,178
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$395k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,432
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,890
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,497
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
-$340k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,791
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.