College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Elizabethtown, KY 3,775 Undergrads 32.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$13,502
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$5,594
After Aid
Median Earnings
$36,143
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,594
Peer Midpoint: $16,832
Earnings (10yr)$36,143
Peer Midpoint: $31,349
Graduation Rate32.7%
Peer Midpoint: 66.3%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients54.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time48.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS54.8%

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
+$389k
+$64k
-$96k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$383k
+$59k
-$101k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$376k
+$51k
-$108k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
Never
-1946%
Full Cost$14k/yr
Never
-865%
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-1486%

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-332%
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

Certificates

Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
CertCIP: 5139
Median Debt
$4,093
Earnings (2yr)
$27,048
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (5yr)
$55,821
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$14,250
Earnings (5yr)
$38,665
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$9,019
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
AssocCIP: 4603
Median Debt
$5,798
Earnings (5yr)
$74,365
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$20,798
Earnings (5yr)
$33,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)
AssocCIP: 4702
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies
AssocCIP: 4703
Median Debt
$11,500
Earnings (5yr)
$82,761
Lifetime Value Added
+$326k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$8,811
Earnings (5yr)
$36,921
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$12,718
Earnings (5yr)
$58,868
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Social Work
AssocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$17,162
Lifetime Value Added
-$290k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k

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.