College ROI

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Northwest Technical College

Bemidji, MN 751 Undergrads 41.8% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
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Total Cost
$22,070
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$11,886
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,667
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$11,886
Peer Midpoint: $17,726
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$53,667
Peer Midpoint: $36,184
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,270
Peer Midpoint: $36,543
Graduation Rate41.8%
Peer Midpoint: 69.9%
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)27.6
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 Recipients50.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time41.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 1 Year 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
+$607k
+$203k
+$121k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$596k
+$192k
+$110k
Full Cost$22k/yr
+$587k
+$182k
+$100k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
22
∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
23
994%
Full Cost$22k/yr
25
489%
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 Return1038%

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 Return173%
Warning: Read this ROI with care. Most awards here are certificates, so the model prices a one-year program. The earnings figure covers every graduate, including those who finished longer associate programs that pay more. That mix can make the NPV, Social ROI and Pell ROI look much higher than a typical certificate student will see.

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: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $39,369
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,723
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,714
Earnings (4yr)
$44,685
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,112
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
+$125k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$6,005
Earnings (4yr)
$50,823
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
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Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
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Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,668
Natl Median: $33,086
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,918
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
+$222k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,312
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$257k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,145
Earnings (4yr)
$80,193
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
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Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
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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.