Dalton State College

Dalton, GA 4,553 Undergrads 34.7% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$12,719

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$5,012

After Aid

Median Earnings

$52,160

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,012

Peer Midpoint: $20,081

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation

$52,160

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+30%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.

Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment

$40,251

Peer Midpoint: $53,763

Graduation Rate34.7%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.

Average Starting Age21.5

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients54.1%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time62.6%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS64.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

100.0%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV

Vs Median Peer

Vs HS Grad

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

+$472k

+$5k

-$13k

Median Cost$5k/yr

+$454k

-$13k

-$31k

Full Cost$13k/yr

+$426k

-$41k

-$59k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

Never

-∞

Median Cost$5k/yr

Never

-171%

Full Cost$13k/yr

Never

-128%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-109%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-54%

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, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants

CertCIP: 5139

Median Debt

$9,007

Earnings (4yr)

$51,094

Natl Median: $56,073

Lifetime Value Added

+$99k

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services

AssocCIP: 5108

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$68,770

Natl Median: $42,269

Lifetime Value Added

+$216k

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

AssocCIP: 5109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$67,654

Natl Median: $65,389

Lifetime Value Added

+$206k

Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1512

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,195

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

AssocCIP: 1109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $54,971

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,593

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$9,000

Earnings (4yr)

$44,369

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

-$17k

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

Earnings (4yr)

$75,311

Natl Median: $80,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$275k

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

BachCIP: 5203

Median Debt

$18,100

Earnings (4yr)

$66,902

Natl Median: $76,194

Lifetime Value Added

+$88k

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

BachCIP: 5109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $70,786

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$8,454

Earnings (4yr)

$47,218

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$72k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$16,959

Earnings (4yr)

$60,331

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

+$36k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

BachCIP: 1109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,587

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Criminal Justice and Corrections

BachCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$48,341

Natl Median: $55,378

Lifetime Value Added

-$63k

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$45,747

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$85k

Finance and Financial Management Services

BachCIP: 5208

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $83,343

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Health and Medical Administrative Services

BachCIP: 5107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,716

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$47,243

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

-$72k

Management Information Systems and Services

BachCIP: 5212

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$63,224

Natl Median: $83,290

Lifetime Value Added

+$59k

Marketing

BachCIP: 5214

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$64,649

Natl Median: $69,303

Lifetime Value Added

+$70k

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General

BachCIP: 3000

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,532

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

$13,208

Earnings (4yr)

$41,357

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$122k

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

BachCIP: 0909

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,560

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

BachCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$14,699

Earnings (4yr)

$84,253

Natl Median: $88,910

Lifetime Value Added

+$220k

Science Technologies/Technicians, General

BachCIP: 4100

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $96,876

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Work

BachCIP: 4407

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$47,420

Natl Median: $51,790

Lifetime Value Added

-$71k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

BachCIP: 1312

Median Debt

$15,700

Earnings (4yr)

$45,604

Natl Median: $47,382

Lifetime Value Added

-$86k

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.

Dalton State College

Vs. Peer Institutions

Admissions Profile

ROI Sensitivity AnalysisAssuming 4 Years to Graduation

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

ROI Efficiency Metrics⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Social Impact ROINew⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Program ROI Analysis⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Associate's Degrees

Bachelor's Degrees

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.