College ROI

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Northland Community and Technical College

Thief River Falls, MN 1,554 Undergrads 45.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,638
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,975
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,671
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,975
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,671
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,425
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate45.2%
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 Age24.0
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 Recipients37.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time53.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.8%

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)
⚠️ 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
+$578k
+$62k
+$94k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$552k
+$37k
+$68k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$542k
+$26k
+$57k

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$14k/yr
31
264%
Full Cost$20k/yr
34
159%
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 Return405%

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 Return48%
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)
-
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
+$112k
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)
$50,035
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,961
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$214k
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
-$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,288
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,868
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
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
-$43k
Median Debt
$12,250
Earnings (4yr)
$63,967
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,886
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,281
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,712
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,500
Earnings (4yr)
$43,915
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,803
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
Animal Sciences
AssocCIP: 0109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,658
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,890
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,753
Earnings (4yr)
$60,724
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
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
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,953
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,111
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,705
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,573
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
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 (5yr)
$55,979
Natl Median: $75,487
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Median Debt
$12,250
Earnings (4yr)
$47,413
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,561
Natl Median: $62,755
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$76,472
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$269k
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
-$109k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,434
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,411
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.