College ROI

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Onondaga Community College

Syracuse, NY 4,456 Undergrads 23.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$16,585
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,562
After Aid
Median Earnings
$46,821
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,562
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$46,821
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,190
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate23.9%
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 Age22.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients50.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time69.7%
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
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
+$501k
-$15k
+$17k
Median Cost$9k/yr
+$485k
-$30k
+$899
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$471k
-$45k
-$14k

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
41
∞
Median Cost$9k/yr
62
6%
Full Cost$17k/yr
Never
-45%
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 Return29%

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 Return-35%
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 (2yr)
$39,729
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,450
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Median Debt
$10,085
Earnings (4yr)
$44,520
Natl Median: $43,243
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,594
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
Median Debt
$8,605
Earnings (4yr)
$46,949
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
$9,922
Earnings (4yr)
$29,787
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Education, Other
AssocCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (2yr)
$61,064
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,653
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,984
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Homeland Security
AssocCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,829
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,822
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,019
Earnings (4yr)
$38,232
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,469
Natl Median: $56,799
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$8,250
Earnings (4yr)
$45,638
Natl Median: $41,496
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$41,819
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
$9,222
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician
AssocCIP: 1514
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$154,956
Natl Median: $100,221
Lifetime Value Added
+$949k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,310
Natl Median: $40,506
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Median Debt
$15,575
Earnings (4yr)
$86,920
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$372k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,839
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,404
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
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.