College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Onondaga Community College

Syracuse, NY 4,349 Undergrads 24.2% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$14,613
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$7,178
After Aid
Median Earnings
$41,190
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$7,178
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$41,190
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate24.2%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients48.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time70.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS57.6%

Admissions Profile

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

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$413k
+$24k
-$71k
Median Cost$7k/yr
+$400k
+$11k
-$85k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$386k
-$3k
-$98k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$7k/yr
Never
-642%
Full Cost$15k/yr
Never
-366%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
  • 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 Return-547%

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 Return-153%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Certificates

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,656
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,594
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$8,605
Earnings (5yr)
$43,735
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$9,922
Earnings (5yr)
$35,938
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (2yr)
$61,064
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,653
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,404
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Hospitality Administration/Management
AssocCIP: 5209
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,822
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Human Services, General
AssocCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$12,019
Earnings (5yr)
$35,479
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Information Science/Studies
AssocCIP: 1104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,469
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$8,250
Earnings (5yr)
$34,651
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (5yr)
$37,263
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1508
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1514
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$154,956
Lifetime Value Added
+$952k
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other
AssocCIP: 4499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,310
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$15,575
Earnings (5yr)
$74,338
Lifetime Value Added
+$249k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.