Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 11,137 Undergrads 25.3% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$16,361

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$7,653

After Aid

Median Earnings

$68,070

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$7,653

Peer Midpoint: $17,333.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$68,070

Peer Midpoint: $34,461

Graduation Rate25.3%

Peer Midpoint: 68.7%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients9.9%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time34.6%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS70.9%

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

+$761k

+$370k

+$277k

Median Cost$8k/yr

+$754k

+$363k

+$270k

Full Cost$16k/yr

+$746k

+$355k

+$262k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$8k/yr

3802%

Full Cost$16k/yr

1725%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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 Return3517%

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 Return809%

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 and Medical Assisting Services

CertCIP: 5108

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,272

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services

CertCIP: 0106

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $37,705

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

AssocCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $47,660

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services

AssocCIP: 5108

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,269

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

AssocCIP: 5109

Median Debt

$10,500

Earnings (4yr)

$127,604

Natl Median: $65,389

Lifetime Value Added

+$737k

Anthropology

AssocCIP: 4502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,638

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

AssocCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,733

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Chemistry

AssocCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,597

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Communication and Media Studies

AssocCIP: 0901

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,243

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Science

AssocCIP: 1107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $62,283

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

AssocCIP: 5106

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $61,982

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Design and Applied Arts

AssocCIP: 5004

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $38,127

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

AssocCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $31,773

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

AssocCIP: 1603

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,764

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Economics

AssocCIP: 4506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,068

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering, General

AssocCIP: 1401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $72,916

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

English Language and Literature, General

AssocCIP: 2301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,134

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

AssocCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $38,929

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mathematics

AssocCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,929

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Philosophy

AssocCIP: 3801

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,229

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Physics

AssocCIP: 4008

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,321

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Political Science and Government

AssocCIP: 4510

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $45,147

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Psychology, General

AssocCIP: 4201

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$55,694

Natl Median: $39,288

Lifetime Value Added

+$89k

Public Health

AssocCIP: 5122

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,759

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Sociology

AssocCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,144

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

AssocCIP: 3105

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $40,162

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

AssocCIP: 1312

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $37,656

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

BachCIP: 5106

Median Debt

$11,000

Earnings (4yr)

$82,028

Natl Median: $68,061

Lifetime Value Added

+$194k

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.