College ROI

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North Dakota State College of Science

Wahpeton, ND 1,909 Undergrads 45.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$17,265
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$11,261
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,587
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$11,261
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,587
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$50,513
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate45.4%
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 Age21.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time86.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.1%

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
+$634k
+$119k
+$150k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$614k
+$98k
+$129k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$603k
+$87k
+$118k

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
24
∞
Median Cost$11k/yr
27
625%
Full Cost$17k/yr
28
373%
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 Return813%

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 Return153%
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

Air Transportation
CertCIP: 4901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,268
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,739
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,137
Natl Median: $49,714
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,051
Natl Median: $47,825
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (4yr)
$81,168
Natl Median: $61,712
Lifetime Value Added
+$316k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,551
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,275
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,469
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
AssocCIP: 1510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,940
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$11,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,908
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,920
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Natl Median: $55,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,546
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,921
Earnings (4yr)
$46,788
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Median Debt
$16,090
Earnings (4yr)
$64,660
Natl Median: $62,755
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Median Debt
$11,123
Earnings (4yr)
$61,509
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Median Debt
$18,773
Earnings (4yr)
$69,372
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$11,554
Earnings (4yr)
$74,744
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$258k

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.