College ROI

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Northwood Technical College

Rice Lake, WI 2,149 Undergrads 59.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$14,981
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,989
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,705
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,989
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$49,705
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$43,406
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate59.5%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Average Starting Age26.7
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 Recipients39.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time42.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.5%

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
+$529k
+$14k
+$45k
Median Cost$9k/yr
+$513k
-$3k
+$29k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$502k
-$14k
+$18k

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
32
∞
Median Cost$9k/yr
38
173%
Full Cost$15k/yr
44
64%
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 Return233%

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 Return16%
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
$9,917
Earnings (4yr)
$45,947
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,175
Natl Median: $60,506
Lifetime Value Added
+$299k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,010
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$41,582
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,341
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,359
Earnings (4yr)
$35,988
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,817
Earnings (4yr)
$57,349
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$32,846
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,727
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,418
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Gerontology
CertCIP: 3011
Median Debt
$8,250
Earnings (4yr)
$38,916
Natl Median: $48,636
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$8,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,379
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,787
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$285k
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
$8,500
Earnings (4yr)
$76,005
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k
Median Debt
$10,750
Earnings (4yr)
$40,567
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
$9,167
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$38,870
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,941
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,169
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$10,003
Earnings (4yr)
$46,308
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,716
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,003
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Median Debt
$13,667
Earnings (4yr)
$31,016
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,930
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,195
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,434
Earnings (4yr)
$44,992
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,913
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Gerontology
AssocCIP: 3011
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,217
Natl Median: $40,252
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
$14,271
Earnings (4yr)
$41,415
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,229
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,819
Earnings (4yr)
$41,762
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,167
Earnings (4yr)
$73,503
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$251k

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.