College ROI

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Middlesex Community College

Bedford, MA 5,412 Undergrads 24.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$10,342
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$2,624
After Aid
Median Earnings
$56,301
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$2,624
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$56,301
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$50,651
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate24.1%
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 Age23.8
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 Recipients34.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time30.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS61.4%

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
+$594k
+$78k
+$109k
Median Cost$3k/yr
+$589k
+$73k
+$104k
Full Cost$10k/yr
+$575k
+$59k
+$90k

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
26
∞
Median Cost$3k/yr
27
2166%
Full Cost$10k/yr
29
475%
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 Return1014%

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 Return218%
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)
$42,835
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,251
Natl Median: $51,658
Lifetime Value Added
+$325k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,225
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,171
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,375
Earnings (4yr)
$71,829
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
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)
$82,378
Natl Median: $51,168
Lifetime Value Added
+$342k
Median Debt
$6,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,103
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,183
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,680
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$291k
Median Debt
$8,694
Earnings (4yr)
$58,029
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Median Debt
$13,312
Earnings (4yr)
$75,312
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,167
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,276
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
AssocCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,610
Natl Median: $69,455
Lifetime Value Added
+$300k
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$6,310
Earnings (4yr)
$46,289
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Mathematics
AssocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,538
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
$12,105
Earnings (4yr)
$90,563
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$416k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,839
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,146
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,002
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,535
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Design and Applied Arts
Gr-CertCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.