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Community College of Allegheny County
Pittsburgh, PA 9,305 Undergrads 23.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$13,905
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,166
After Aid
Median Earnings
$39,449
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$8,166
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$39,449
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate23.5%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients31.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time37.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.7%
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
+$397k
+$8k
-$88k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$382k
-$7k
-$103k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$371k
-$18k
-$113k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-685%
Full Cost$14k/yr
Never
-444%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-685%
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-179%
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
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
CertCIP: 5110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
CertCIP: 4603
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$124,590
Lifetime Value Added
+$865k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
CertCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,873
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
CertCIP: 1907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$25,154
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Legal Support Services
CertCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,839
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
CertCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Precision Metal Working
CertCIP: 4805
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
Associate's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$13,087
Earnings (5yr)
$41,306
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$13,770
Earnings (5yr)
$43,754
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$14,927
Earnings (5yr)
$51,953
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$11,575
Earnings (5yr)
$46,363
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,591
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$8,192
Earnings (5yr)
$55,759
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1512
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,166
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
$12,483
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$13,085
Earnings (5yr)
$48,215
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,967
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1513
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$40,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$12,255
Earnings (5yr)
$25,703
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$12,460
Earnings (5yr)
$40,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Mathematics
AssocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,345
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Precision Metal Working
AssocCIP: 4805
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$14,333
Earnings (5yr)
$73,539
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
Social Work
AssocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,747
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,821
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.