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Paradise Valley Community College
Phoenix, AZ 5,117 Undergrads 24.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$18,375
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,180
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,729
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$12,180
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$64,729
Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5
Graduation Rate24.9%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time31.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS67.5%
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
+$673k
+$157k
+$188k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$650k
+$135k
+$166k
Full Cost$18k/yr
+$639k
+$123k
+$155k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
23
∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
25
742%
Full Cost$18k/yr
26
458%
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 Return981%
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 Return197%
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
Accounting and Related Services
CertCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,772
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
CertCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
CertCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,843
Natl Median: $45,745
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,866
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
Homeland Security
CertCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,995
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Associate's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,392
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
AssocCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,370
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1002
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,699
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
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 Analysis
AssocCIP: 1105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,167
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
AssocCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,916
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$6,781
Earnings (4yr)
$81,355
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$316k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
AssocCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Other Programs
Business/Commerce, General
DegCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,047
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
DegCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,220
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Sciences
DegCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,453
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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.