College ROI

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Hudson Valley Community College

Troy, NY 6,499 Undergrads 36.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$15,757
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,501
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,719
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,501
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,719
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,460
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate36.4%
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 Age23.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time71.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.3%

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
+$578k
+$63k
+$94k
Median Cost$9k/yr
+$563k
+$47k
+$78k
Full Cost$16k/yr
+$549k
+$34k
+$65k

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
27
∞
Median Cost$9k/yr
29
502%
Full Cost$16k/yr
32
225%
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 Return532%

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 Return85%
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)
$75,777
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$344k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,492
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$12,219
Earnings (4yr)
$47,322
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,209
Earnings (4yr)
$85,166
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$357k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,063
Natl Median: $33,379
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
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
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,266
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,077
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,076
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,066
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,909
Earnings (4yr)
$41,976
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,472
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
AssocCIP: 1510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,190
Natl Median: $71,367
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Median Debt
$9,609
Earnings (4yr)
$47,627
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (4yr)
$62,598
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,995
Earnings (4yr)
$69,398
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$81,276
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$322k
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$9,935
Earnings (4yr)
$73,204
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$249k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,095
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$25,831
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,573
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,515
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Median Debt
$7,679
Earnings (4yr)
$37,320
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
$10,946
Earnings (4yr)
$38,446
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,702
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
Median Debt
$9,317
Earnings (4yr)
$61,679
Natl Median: $56,799
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Median Debt
$8,750
Earnings (4yr)
$41,374
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,905
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,782
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
+$624
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other
AssocCIP: 3199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,983
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
$16,100
Earnings (4yr)
$83,443
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$341k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,839
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,002
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,992
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$10,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,029
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k

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.