College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

New York, NY 16,850 Undergrads 30.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$12,187
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$4,907
After Aid
Median Earnings
$42,306
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$4,907
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$42,306
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate30.1%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients60.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time69.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS52.4%

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
+$423k
+$34k
-$61k
Median Cost$5k/yr
+$414k
+$25k
-$70k
Full Cost$12k/yr
+$401k
+$12k
-$83k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$5k/yr
Never
-776%
Full Cost$12k/yr
Never
-372%
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-553%

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-146%
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

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,030
Lifetime Value Added
+$528
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$112,334
Lifetime Value Added
+$587k
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1002
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,015
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$8,162
Earnings (5yr)
$46,845
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Communication and Media Studies
AssocCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$8,600
Earnings (5yr)
$35,617
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Community Organization and Advocacy
AssocCIP: 4402
Median Debt
$5,869
Earnings (5yr)
$47,817
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,137
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Computer Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$9,223
Earnings (5yr)
$58,967
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Computer Software and Media Applications
AssocCIP: 1108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$7,730
Earnings (5yr)
$49,837
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,905
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
English Language and Literature, General
AssocCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$24,609
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,723
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$7,247
Earnings (5yr)
$38,920
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Mathematics
AssocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,370
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Physical Sciences
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,593
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Public Health
AssocCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,904
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$12,480
Earnings (5yr)
$105,010
Lifetime Value Added
+$523k
Teaching Assistants/Aides
AssocCIP: 1315
Median Debt
$9,129
Earnings (5yr)
$37,425
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Visual and Performing Arts, General
AssocCIP: 5001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$16,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k

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.