College ROI

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Columbia State Community College

Columbia, TN 3,897 Undergrads 30.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$13,179
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$4,734
After Aid
Median Earnings
$46,284
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$4,734
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$46,284
Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5
Graduation Rate30.9%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time67.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS60.5%

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
+$496k
-$20k
+$11k
Median Cost$5k/yr
+$487k
-$29k
+$3k
Full Cost$13k/yr
+$471k
-$44k
-$13k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
44
∞
Median Cost$5k/yr
57
30%
Full Cost$13k/yr
Never
-53%
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 Return22%

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-27%
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

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$5,375
Earnings (4yr)
$54,816
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1002
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,223
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
CertCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
CertCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,354
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Hospitality Administration/Management
CertCIP: 5209
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
CertCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,318
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$9,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,642
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,027
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,354
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
AssocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,890
Natl Median: $41,787
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
AssocCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 5100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$7,601
Earnings (4yr)
$40,271
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Medical Illustration and Informatics
AssocCIP: 5127
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
AssocCIP: 3000
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,709
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$11,500
Earnings (4yr)
$78,499
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$304k
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 0183
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,930
Natl Median: $41,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k

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.