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Palo Alto College
San Antonio, TX 8,801 Undergrads 20.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$11,946
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$4,463
After Aid
Median Earnings
$38,443
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$4,463
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$38,443
Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5
Graduation Rate20.6%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time21.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.9%
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
+$417k
-$99k
-$67k
Median Cost$4k/yr
+$409k
-$107k
-$76k
Full Cost$12k/yr
+$395k
-$121k
-$89k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$4k/yr
Never
-923%
Full Cost$12k/yr
Never
-407%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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-615%
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-158%
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
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services
CertCIP: 0106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
CertCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
CertCIP: 1109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Associate's Degrees
Agriculture, General
AssocCIP: 0100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,683
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Air Transportation
AssocCIP: 4901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,495
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services
AssocCIP: 0106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,952
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
AssocCIP: 1109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
AssocCIP: 1110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
AssocCIP: 1204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $27,014
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,343
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications
AssocCIP: 1106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,480
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
AssocCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,068
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
AssocCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,134
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
AssocCIP: 0502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,387
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
AssocCIP: 5111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,550
Natl Median: $51,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
History
AssocCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Information Science/Studies
AssocCIP: 1104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,799
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,578
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
AssocCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
AssocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1509
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,878
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,867
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
AssocCIP: 0907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,074
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
AssocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,154
Natl Median: $39,409
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Sociology
AssocCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,144
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
AssocCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$10,142
Earnings (4yr)
$38,409
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
AssocCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,256
Natl Median: $35,702
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 0183
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,164
Natl Median: $41,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.