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Florence-Darlington Technical College

Florence, SC 3,055 Undergrads 18.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$10,731
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$2,004
After Aid
Median Earnings
$44,978
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$2,004
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$44,978
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+37%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$32,748
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate18.8%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age25.2
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 Recipients55.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time38.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS44.7%

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)
⚠️ 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
+$483k
-$33k
-$2k
Median Cost$2k/yr
+$479k
-$37k
-$5k
Full Cost$11k/yr
+$463k
-$53k
-$21k

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$2k/yr
Never
-147%
Full Cost$11k/yr
Never
-109%
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-70%

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-37%
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

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,284
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,927
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,393
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$29,949
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Natl Median: $37,083
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,609
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Data Processing
CertCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,061
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,417
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,663
Natl Median: $49,492
Lifetime Value Added
+$277k
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)
-
Natl Median: $46,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,382
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
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)
$25,274
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
-$181k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$31,473
Natl Median: $36,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,552
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,024
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,019
Natl Median: $55,699
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$6,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,368
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,210
Natl Median: $80,020
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,249
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k

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.