Back to Colleges
Houston Community College
Houston, TX 37,970 Undergrads 19.7% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$12,065
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,738
After Aid
Median Earnings
$39,254
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$6,738
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$39,254
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate19.7%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients45.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time36.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS52.1%
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
+$395k
+$6k
-$90k
Median Cost$7k/yr
+$382k
-$7k
-$102k
Full Cost$12k/yr
+$373k
-$16k
-$112k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$7k/yr
Never
-824%
Full Cost$12k/yr
Never
-504%
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-788%
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-194%
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
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
CertCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,840
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$10,500
Earnings (5yr)
$76,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$342k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
CertCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$13,625
Earnings (5yr)
$35,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
CertCIP: 5204
Median Debt
$18,595
Earnings (5yr)
$35,246
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
CertCIP: 1204
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (5yr)
$16,802
Lifetime Value Added
-$285k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
CertCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,987
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1513
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,611
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
CertCIP: 5139
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,038
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Precision Metal Working
CertCIP: 4805
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (5yr)
$39,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Associate's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,274
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,067
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$17,487
Earnings (5yr)
$81,939
Lifetime Value Added
+$316k
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1002
Median Debt
$23,470
Earnings (5yr)
$42,871
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$15,625
Earnings (5yr)
$46,026
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
$33,518
Earnings (5yr)
$42,965
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,082
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
AssocCIP: 1204
Median Debt
$21,317
Earnings (5yr)
$21,810
Lifetime Value Added
-$255k
Culinary Arts and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1205
Median Debt
$20,327
Earnings (5yr)
$22,509
Lifetime Value Added
-$248k
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,875
Lifetime Value Added
+$166k
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1513
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,016
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Engineering Science
AssocCIP: 1413
Median Debt
$11,373
Earnings (5yr)
$73,244
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
Graphic Communications
AssocCIP: 1003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,213
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 5100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,236
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
$13,766
Earnings (5yr)
$43,910
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$14,301
Earnings (5yr)
$45,840
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1509
Median Debt
$19,625
Earnings (5yr)
$44,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4103
Median Debt
$16,784
Earnings (5yr)
$63,218
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$12,455
Earnings (5yr)
$101,897
Lifetime Value Added
+$492k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
AssocCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$13,365
Earnings (5yr)
$56,145
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
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.