College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Lehigh Carbon Community College

Schnecksville, PA 4,465 Undergrads 21.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$15,075
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$9,568
After Aid
Median Earnings
$42,436
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$9,568
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$42,436
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate21.6%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time38.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.6%

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
+$425k
+$36k
-$60k
Median Cost$10k/yr
+$407k
+$18k
-$77k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$397k
+$8k
-$87k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$10k/yr
Never
-440%
Full Cost$15k/yr
Never
-316%
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-458%

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-136%
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

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,368
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$15,088
Earnings (5yr)
$42,437
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,817
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$43,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
AssocCIP: 1109
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$12,770
Earnings (5yr)
$55,788
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,747
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$8,902
Earnings (5yr)
$38,484
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$29,760
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$13,936
Earnings (5yr)
$78,165
Lifetime Value Added
+$278k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
AssocCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,007
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k

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.