College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Finger Lakes Community College

Canandaigua, NY 2,900 Undergrads 33.1% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$19,411
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,186
After Aid
Median Earnings
$40,054
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,186
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$40,054
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate33.1%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients50.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time68.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.0%

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
+$402k
+$13k
-$82k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$376k
-$13k
-$108k
Full Cost$19k/yr
+$367k
-$22k
-$118k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
Never
-415%
Full Cost$19k/yr
Never
-330%
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-490%

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-151%
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

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,406
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$16,743
Earnings (5yr)
$49,245
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$43,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Communication and Media Studies
AssocCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,463
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Community Organization and Advocacy
AssocCIP: 4402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,689
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,807
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Culinary Arts and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1205
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$22,192
Lifetime Value Added
-$251k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,547
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Food Science and Technology
AssocCIP: 0110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$37,763
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,235
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,805
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
AssocCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,284
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$20,219
Earnings (5yr)
$70,530
Lifetime Value Added
+$202k
Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services
AssocCIP: 5135
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
AssocCIP: 5219
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,340
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management
AssocCIP: 0306
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,967
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k

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.