College ROI

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Delgado Community College

New Orleans, LA 11,668 Undergrads 23.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,180
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$11,939
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,422
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$11,939
Peer Midpoint: $17,726
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$48,422
Peer Midpoint: $36,184
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+28%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$37,973
Peer Midpoint: $36,543
Graduation Rate23.5%
Peer Midpoint: 69.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)25.8
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 Recipients69.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time37.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS46.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 1 Year 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
+$552k
+$148k
+$65k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$541k
+$137k
+$54k
Full Cost$19k/yr
+$534k
+$130k
+$48k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
24
∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
27
491%
Full Cost$19k/yr
29
268%
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 Return618%

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 Return83%

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
$17,750
Earnings (4yr)
$42,728
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$31,381
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,677
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
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Median Debt
$17,945
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,875
Earnings (4yr)
$26,805
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
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Median Debt
$26,832
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,653
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
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Median Debt
$10,500
Earnings (4yr)
$39,388
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
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Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,459
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
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Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,089
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$36,121
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,614
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
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Median Debt
$22,019
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,742
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,061
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,286
Earnings (4yr)
$63,070
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
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Median Debt
$8,352
Earnings (4yr)
$42,367
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
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Real Estate
CertCIP: 5215
Median Debt
$15,663
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,762
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $29,652
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$10,637
Earnings (4yr)
$45,941
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
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Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$18,492
Earnings (4yr)
$42,677
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
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Median Debt
$10,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,682
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
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Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,005
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,886
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,597
Earnings (4yr)
$40,697
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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Median Debt
$20,408
Earnings (4yr)
$44,673
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,849
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,781
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
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Median Debt
$22,912
Earnings (4yr)
$35,739
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,693
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$232k
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Data Processing
AssocCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,367
Natl Median: $51,859
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$30,671
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,128
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
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Education, General
AssocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,787
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$34,704
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
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Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,354
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
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Median Debt
$29,664
Earnings (4yr)
$34,540
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
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Median Debt
$18,866
Earnings (4yr)
$42,920
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,967
Earnings (4yr)
$82,163
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$326k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,574
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,488
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,103
Natl Median: $41,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
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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.