College ROI

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Herkimer County Community College

Herkimer, NY 1,168 Undergrads 33.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$20,149
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,419
After Aid
Median Earnings
$40,716
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,419
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$40,716
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$39,199
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate33.5%
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 Age22.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients62.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time73.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS57.4%

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
+$440k
-$76k
-$44k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$415k
-$100k
-$69k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$403k
-$113k
-$81k

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$13k/yr
Never
-280%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-220%
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-294%

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-111%
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: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $24,479
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,754
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$15,352
Earnings (4yr)
$49,058
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
AssocCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,370
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,168
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,063
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,170
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,095
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
AssocCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,169
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,617
Earnings (4yr)
$56,323
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,985
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,961
Earnings (4yr)
$38,819
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,884
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,074
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,839
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,446
Natl Median: $53,002
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
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 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.