College ROI

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Palm Beach State College

Lake Worth, FL 21,956 Undergrads 38.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$16,830
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$9,182
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,635
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$9,182
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$48,635
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,923
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate38.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age23.2
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 Recipients45.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time36.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.0%

Admissions Profile

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

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 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
+$442k
-$25k
-$42k
Median Cost$9k/yr
+$409k
-$58k
-$75k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$382k
-$85k
-$103k

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
Never
-∞
Median Cost$9k/yr
Never
-228%
Full Cost$17k/yr
Never
-170%
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 Return-190%

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-85%
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,711
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$4,025
Earnings (4yr)
$68,457
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biotechnology
CertCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,955
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: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$4,500
Earnings (4yr)
$31,237
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
$4,892
Earnings (4yr)
$78,216
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$367k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,204
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,154
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
CertCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,354
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,689
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$255k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,547
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
CertCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,995
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,561
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$6,014
Earnings (4yr)
$57,893
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$166k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,610
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Real Estate
CertCIP: 5215
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,978
Natl Median: $46,762
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$30,028
Natl Median: $29,652
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,615
Natl Median: $40,127
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,464
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Air Transportation
AssocCIP: 4901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,495
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,250
Earnings (4yr)
$62,303
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,168
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,659
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,616
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,988
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Median Debt
$8,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,776
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
AssocCIP: 1510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,713
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,966
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
AssocCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,095
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,186
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,364
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,314
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Median Debt
$6,139
Earnings (4yr)
$44,569
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,340
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,724
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$8,750
Earnings (4yr)
$83,171
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$337k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,215
Natl Median: $43,839
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,687
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$12,052
Earnings (4yr)
$54,096
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
$10,150
Earnings (4yr)
$69,612
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,500
Earnings (4yr)
$85,210
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k

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.