College ROI

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Glendale Community College

Glendale, AZ 11,975 Undergrads 21.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$18,037
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$11,650
After Aid
Median Earnings
$76,750
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$11,650
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$76,750
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+78%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$43,108
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate21.9%
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 Age24.8
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 Recipients34.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time31.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.5%

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
+$781k
+$266k
+$297k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$760k
+$244k
+$275k
Full Cost$18k/yr
+$748k
+$232k
+$264k

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
22
∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
23
1287%
Full Cost$18k/yr
24
796%
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 Return1661%

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 Return390%
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,074
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Behavioral Sciences
CertCIP: 3017
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,316
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,886
Natl Median: $60,097
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,136
Natl Median: $45,745
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,219
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Journalism
CertCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,137
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Sciences
CertCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,855
Natl Median: $53,855
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,898
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,496
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
AssocCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,370
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,823
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,509
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,034
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,480
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,186
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$6,176
Earnings (4yr)
$48,947
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,165
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
-$804
Median Debt
$6,696
Earnings (4yr)
$89,400
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$389k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,889
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,983
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,047
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,247
Natl Median: $48,220
Lifetime Value Added
-$358k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Sciences
DegCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,453
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 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.