College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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CUNY Kingsborough Community College

Brooklyn, NY 7,632 Undergrads 37.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$12,998
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$5,436
After Aid
Median Earnings
$42,621
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,436
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$42,621
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate37.3%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients58.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time77.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS51.9%

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
+$426k
+$37k
-$58k
Median Cost$5k/yr
+$416k
+$27k
-$68k
Full Cost$13k/yr
+$402k
+$14k
-$82k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$5k/yr
Never
-681%
Full Cost$13k/yr
Never
-343%
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-502%

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-139%
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
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,823
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$58,402
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,720
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,004
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,739
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$7,000
Earnings (5yr)
$41,604
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Culinary Arts and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1205
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,465
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,696
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
AssocCIP: 5218
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$21,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Hospitality Administration/Management
AssocCIP: 5209
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$24,648
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$8,096
Earnings (5yr)
$38,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$9,315
Earnings (5yr)
$42,559
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
AssocCIP: 3101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,986
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$9,000
Earnings (5yr)
$100,919
Lifetime Value Added
+$486k
Teaching Assistants/Aides
AssocCIP: 1315
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,913
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k

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.