College ROI

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Orange Coast College

Costa Mesa, CA 16,091 Undergrads 32.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$15,561
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$7,203
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,927
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$7,203
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$49,927
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,348
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate32.9%
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 Age23.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time37.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS58.0%

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
+$532k
+$16k
+$47k
Median Cost$7k/yr
+$518k
+$3k
+$34k
Full Cost$16k/yr
+$503k
-$12k
+$19k

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
31
∞
Median Cost$7k/yr
36
258%
Full Cost$16k/yr
43
66%
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 Return235%

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 Return15%
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

Air Transportation
CertCIP: 4901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $25,340
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,223
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
CertCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $28,839
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,268
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,800
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,790
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,560
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Air Transportation
AssocCIP: 4901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,495
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,682
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$417k
Apparel and Textiles
AssocCIP: 1909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,422
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,403
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,701
Natl Median: $50,181
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,193
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Chemistry
AssocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,597
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,829
Natl Median: $43,243
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,082
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: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
AssocCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,547
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,468
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
AssocCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,068
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,237
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,134
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,186
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,052
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
AssocCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,454
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$250
Mathematics
AssocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
AssocCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,321
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,152
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,074
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
AssocCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,445
Natl Median: $44,144
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,799
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.