College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Garden City Community College

Garden City, KS 1,474 Undergrads 38.6% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$15,071
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,244
After Aid
Median Earnings
$45,949
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,244
Peer Midpoint: $17,333.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$45,949
Peer Midpoint: $34,461
Graduation Rate38.6%
Peer Midpoint: 68.7%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients40.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time73.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS58.8%

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
+$533k
+$142k
+$49k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$526k
+$134k
+$41k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$519k
+$128k
+$35k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
Median Cost$8k/yr
28
538%
Full Cost$15k/yr
31
249%
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 Return591%

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 Return88%
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

Agricultural and Food Products Processing
CertCIP: 0104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,665
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Agricultural Production Operations
CertCIP: 0103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,010
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
CertCIP: 1204
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$30,306
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
CertCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,757
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
CertCIP: 5139
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,212
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$221k
Precision Metal Working
CertCIP: 4805
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,612
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Agricultural and Food Products Processing
AssocCIP: 0104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Agricultural Mechanization
AssocCIP: 0102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,749
Natl Median: $61,712
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Agricultural Production Operations
AssocCIP: 0103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs
AssocCIP: 0113
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,245
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,970
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
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 and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
AssocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,787
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 5100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
AssocCIP: 5111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,994
Natl Median: $51,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$8,068
Earnings (4yr)
$33,834
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Precision Metal Working
AssocCIP: 4805
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$10,908
Earnings (4yr)
$68,767
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Social Work
AssocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,409
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
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Visual and Performing Arts, General
AssocCIP: 5001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,799
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.