Pellissippi State Community College

Knoxville, TN 6,715 Undergrads 33.4% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$13,431

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$4,983

After Aid

Median Earnings

$45,692

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$4,983

Peer Midpoint: $9,847

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$45,692

Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5

Graduation Rate33.4%

Peer Midpoint: 34.6%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients33.8%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time65.5%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS55.4%

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

+$490k

-$26k

+$5k

Median Cost$5k/yr

+$481k

-$35k

-$4k

Full Cost$13k/yr

+$465k

-$50k

-$19k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$5k/yr

Never

-41%

Full Cost$13k/yr

Never

-78%

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-24%

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-38%

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

Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General

CertCIP: 1500

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,354

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Health and Medical Administrative Services

CertCIP: 5107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $35,447

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Associate's Degrees

Business Administration, Management and Operations

AssocCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$8,540

Earnings (4yr)

$43,388

Natl Median: $48,733

Lifetime Value Added

-$27k

Business Operations Support and Assistant Services

AssocCIP: 5204

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$36,604

Natl Median: $37,587

Lifetime Value Added

-$103k

Communications Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$40,105

Natl Median: $35,292

Lifetime Value Added

-$60k

Computer and Information Sciences, General

AssocCIP: 1101

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$60,943

Natl Median: $54,246

Lifetime Value Added

+$144k

Criminal Justice and Corrections

AssocCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,706

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Design and Applied Arts

AssocCIP: 5004

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $38,127

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Education, General

AssocCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$44,787

Natl Median: $41,787

Lifetime Value Added

-$13k

Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1504

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,046

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General

AssocCIP: 1500

Median Debt

$6,750

Earnings (4yr)

$59,701

Natl Median: $62,343

Lifetime Value Added

+$132k

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

AssocCIP: 1907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,184

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,593

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Legal Support Services

AssocCIP: 2203

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$35,851

Natl Median: $44,669

Lifetime Value Added

-$110k

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$6,625

Earnings (4yr)

$43,412

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

-$27k

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1508

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $64,773

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General

AssocCIP: 3000

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $45,709

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

AssocCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,056

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

AssocCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$12,625

Earnings (4yr)

$70,569

Natl Median: $80,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$232k

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.