College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

James A. Rhodes State College

Lima, OH 1,590 Undergrads 40.9% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$14,057
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$7,312
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,065
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$7,312
Peer Midpoint: $17,726
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,065
Peer Midpoint: $36,184
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+27%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,056
Peer Midpoint: $36,543
Graduation Rate40.9%
Peer Midpoint: 69.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age24.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients41.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time28.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS64.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 1 Year 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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$642k
+$238k
+$156k
Median Cost$7k/yr
+$635k
+$231k
+$149k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$629k
+$225k
+$143k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
21
∞
Median Cost$7k/yr
22
2197%
Full Cost$14k/yr
23
1095%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return2208%

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 Return450%
Warning: Read this ROI with care. Most awards here are certificates, so the model prices a one-year program. The earnings figure covers every graduate, including those who finished longer associate and bachelor's programs that pay more. That mix can make the NPV, Social ROI and Pell ROI look much higher than a typical certificate student will see.

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,250
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,418
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,905
Earnings (4yr)
$54,067
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,721
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,389
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,718
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$186k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$7,878
Earnings (4yr)
$53,644
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,066
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,185
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,558
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$61,516
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,686
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,876
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$85,926
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
+$353k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,236
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,359
Earnings (4yr)
$71,736
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$241k
Social Work
AssocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,409
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,592
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k

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.