College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Nashville State Community College

Nashville, TN 4,931 Undergrads 22.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$13,214
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,283
After Aid
Median Earnings
$38,519
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,283
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$38,519
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate22.5%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time53.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS55.3%

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
+$388k
-$1k
-$96k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$376k
-$13k
-$108k
Full Cost$13k/yr
+$364k
-$25k
-$121k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
Never
-936%
Full Cost$13k/yr
Never
-498%
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-779%

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-196%
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

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,695
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
CertCIP: 1110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,595
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
CertCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,940
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,206
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$14,924
Earnings (5yr)
$49,643
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Basic Skills and Developmental/Remedial Education
AssocCIP: 3201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,882
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$17,580
Earnings (5yr)
$44,371
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,192
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1512
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
AssocCIP: 1109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,597
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,869
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Culinary Arts and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1205
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,933
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$259k
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$84,134
Lifetime Value Added
+$337k
Engineering Technology, General
AssocCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,814
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,051
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
AssocCIP: 5199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,994
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,527
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,356
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$10,500
Earnings (5yr)
$44,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$13,444
Earnings (5yr)
$74,578
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k

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.