College ROI

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Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA 2,626 Undergrads 32.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$14,901
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$9,649
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,163
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$9,649
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$49,163
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$42,849
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate32.3%
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 Age23.8
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 Recipients40.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time66.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS65.6%

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
+$524k
+$9k
+$40k
Median Cost$10k/yr
+$506k
-$9k
+$22k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$497k
-$19k
+$12k

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
33
∞
Median Cost$10k/yr
40
125%
Full Cost$15k/yr
47
45%
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 Return199%

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 Return8%
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)
$60,073
Natl Median: $43,930
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,192
Natl Median: $42,010
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,763
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,185
Earnings (4yr)
$42,137
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,720
Natl Median: $49,492
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
CertCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,263
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,854
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$36,160
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$31,807
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,467
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Median Debt
$6,800
Earnings (4yr)
$64,717
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Median Debt
$13,643
Earnings (4yr)
$59,474
Natl Median: $80,020
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,851
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,688
Natl Median: $47,825
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,852
Natl Median: $61,712
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,422
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,742
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,860
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,141
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Carpenters
AssocCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,840
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,998
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,975
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,551
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,661
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,795
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,904
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,276
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
AssocCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,420
Natl Median: $42,169
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,000
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,726
Natl Median: $36,221
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Median Debt
$19,834
Earnings (4yr)
$37,826
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$26,253
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,401
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$11,987
Earnings (4yr)
$46,225
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,884
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,903
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,419
Natl Median: $36,074
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
$18,469
Earnings (4yr)
$68,420
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$204k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,817
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
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.