College ROI

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Dakota County Technical College

Rosemount, MN 2,168 Undergrads 51.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$26,443
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,329
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,165
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,329
Peer Midpoint: $9,956
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,165
Peer Midpoint: $51,775
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,812
Peer Midpoint: $45,130
Graduation Rate51.7%
Peer Midpoint: 35.7%
Average Starting Age26.1
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 Recipients38.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time64.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.7%

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
+$632k
+$108k
+$145k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$594k
+$70k
+$108k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$583k
+$59k
+$97k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
29
289%
Full Cost$26k/yr
31
199%
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 Return473%

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 Return56%

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)
$41,355
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,903
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,981
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$89,494
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$470k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,800
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,414
Natl Median: $52,207
Lifetime Value Added
+$130k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,334
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$234k
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Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,340
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
+$203k
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Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,977
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
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Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,643
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,199
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
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Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,455
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,772
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
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Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$53,631
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$51,273
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
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Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,512
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,196
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,275
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,459
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
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Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,544
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$314k
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Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,817
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$370k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,276
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,186
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,933
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
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Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,205
Natl Median: $69,017
Lifetime Value Added
+$374k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,891
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
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Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,279
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,829
Natl Median: $62,755
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$11,734
Earnings (4yr)
$60,744
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
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Median Debt
$11,677
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,460
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.