College ROI

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Mount Wachusett Community College

Gardner, MA 3,059 Undergrads 29.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$15,487
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$7,931
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,977
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$7,931
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$53,977
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+31%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,118
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate29.5%
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 Age25.6
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 Recipients50.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time27.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.3%

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
+$571k
+$56k
+$87k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$557k
+$41k
+$72k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$543k
+$27k
+$58k

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
27
∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
30
496%
Full Cost$15k/yr
33
205%
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 Return496%

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 Return76%
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)
$56,550
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
Median Debt
$7,473
Earnings (4yr)
$39,102
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Biotechnology
CertCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,955
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$30,261
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,339
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
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: $27,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,100
Earnings (4yr)
$26,085
Natl Median: $36,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,134
Earnings (4yr)
$77,523
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$362k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,763
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$10,720
Earnings (4yr)
$50,002
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,508
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biotechnology
AssocCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,595
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,089
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$140k
Median Debt
$8,274
Earnings (4yr)
$55,418
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Chemistry
AssocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,597
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,243
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$7,322
Earnings (4yr)
$45,678
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,961
Earnings (4yr)
$60,626
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,520
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
AssocCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$4,691
Earnings (4yr)
$44,193
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Median Debt
$4,500
Earnings (4yr)
$43,514
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$13,702
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$333k
Median Debt
$9,825
Earnings (4yr)
$43,842
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,856
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
AssocCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,321
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,825
Earnings (4yr)
$83,155
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$340k
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)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
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.