College ROI

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Napa Valley College

Napa, CA 3,205 Undergrads 26.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$21,563
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,046
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,517
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,046
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$49,517
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate26.8%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time37.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS61.0%

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
+$490k
+$101k
+$6k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$465k
+$76k
-$20k
Full Cost$22k/yr
+$451k
+$62k
-$34k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
50
Median Cost$14k/yr
Never
-77%
Full Cost$22k/yr
Never
-85%
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-50%

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-61%
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

Certificates

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
CertCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,532
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
CertCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,755
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$112,811
Lifetime Value Added
+$574k
Biological and Physical Sciences
AssocCIP: 3001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,874
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,759
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,887
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$110,607
Lifetime Value Added
+$555k
Social Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,637
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k

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.