College ROI

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Kennebec Valley Community College

Fairfield, ME 1,597 Undergrads 44.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$12,149
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$3,910
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,079
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$3,910
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$52,079
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+45%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$36,035
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate44.8%
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 Age26.9
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients49.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time32.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.8%

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
+$553k
+$37k
+$68k
Median Cost$4k/yr
+$546k
+$30k
+$61k
Full Cost$12k/yr
+$530k
+$15k
+$46k

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
29
∞
Median Cost$4k/yr
30
852%
Full Cost$12k/yr
34
206%
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 Return505%

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 Return88%
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)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,060
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,065
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$132,564
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$897k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,244
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,178
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,084
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,168
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,498
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,596
Natl Median: $55,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,299
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
$11,711
Earnings (4yr)
$36,478
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,931
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Median Debt
$16,068
Earnings (4yr)
$41,939
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,020
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,136
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$257k
Median Debt
$7,758
Earnings (4yr)
$33,225
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k

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.