College ROI

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Clark College

Vancouver, WA 4,945 Undergrads 42.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$27,779
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,625
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,786
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,625
Peer Midpoint: $9,956
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$52,786
Peer Midpoint: $51,775
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,832
Peer Midpoint: $45,130
Graduation Rate42.1%
Peer Midpoint: 35.7%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age26.2
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 Recipients40.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time54.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS65.1%

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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$552k
+$28k
+$66k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$518k
-$6k
+$31k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$501k
-$23k
+$15k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
39
92%
Full Cost$28k/yr
48
29%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return153%

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-22%

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)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
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: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,476
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,492
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,108
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,088
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
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Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,011
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,229
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,212
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$195k
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Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,676
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
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Chemical Engineering
AssocCIP: 1407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,346
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,774
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,766
Natl Median: $56,480
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$91,696
Natl Median: $65,477
Lifetime Value Added
+$383k
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Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
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Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,570
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,211
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,017
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,579
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,250
Earnings (4yr)
$42,765
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,444
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,889
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
+$267k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,504
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
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Median Debt
$14,699
Earnings (4yr)
$89,898
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$383k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,342
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,804
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
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Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,014
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
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Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,300
Natl Median: $68,061
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,597
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.