College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Holyoke Community College

Holyoke, MA 3,164 Undergrads 25.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$13,587
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,860
After Aid
Median Earnings
$37,277
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,860
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$37,277
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate25.6%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time37.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS53.8%

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
+$376k
-$13k
-$108k
Median Cost$7k/yr
+$364k
-$25k
-$121k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$351k
-$38k
-$133k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$7k/yr
Never
-959%
Full Cost$14k/yr
Never
-534%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return-844%

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 Return-210%
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

Community Organization and Advocacy
CertCIP: 4402
Median Debt
$4,800
Earnings (5yr)
$33,191
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
CertCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,941
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$7,874
Earnings (5yr)
$50,052
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
$11,618
Earnings (5yr)
$43,661
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$5,590
Earnings (5yr)
$53,689
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$29,261
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$23,887
Lifetime Value Added
-$234k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$7,184
Earnings (5yr)
$39,908
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$11,690
Earnings (5yr)
$85,173
Lifetime Value Added
+$345k
Social Work
AssocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,204
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.