College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN 2,203 Undergrads 26.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$15,612
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,651
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,898
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$10,651
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$49,898
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate26.3%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time42.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.6%

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
+$494k
+$105k
+$9k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$474k
+$85k
-$10k
Full Cost$16k/yr
+$465k
+$76k
-$19k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
46
Median Cost$11k/yr
Never
-52%
Full Cost$16k/yr
Never
-67%
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-9%

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-41%
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 Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$62,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$232k
Legal Support Services
CertCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,777
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,856
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
AssocCIP: 1109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,189
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,206
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Education, General
AssocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,070
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Human Services, General
AssocCIP: 4400
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,541
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
$17,022
Earnings (5yr)
$48,783
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$11,802
Earnings (5yr)
$49,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
AssocCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,116
Lifetime Value Added
+$196k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (5yr)
$77,496
Lifetime Value Added
+$270k

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.