College ROI

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Northland Community and Technical College

Thief River Falls, MN 1,554 Undergrads 45.8% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$25,441
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,003
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,084
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,003
Peer Midpoint: $9,956
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,084
Peer Midpoint: $51,775
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$49,659
Peer Midpoint: $45,130
Graduation Rate45.8%
Peer Midpoint: 35.7%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)24.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients41.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time53.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.8%

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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$593k
+$69k
+$107k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$558k
+$34k
+$72k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$546k
+$23k
+$60k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
32
206%
Full Cost$25k/yr
34
129%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return340%

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 Return23%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,930
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,006
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,115
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,527
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,961
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,396
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,967
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$221k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,154
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$260k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,886
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,281
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,712
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,915
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$15,102
Earnings (4yr)
$60,803
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Animal Sciences
AssocCIP: 0109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,658
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,724
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,953
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,170
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,257
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,600
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,138
Natl Median: $75,487
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Median Debt
$11,700
Earnings (4yr)
$47,413
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$76,472
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$262k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,002
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,865
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,434
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k

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.