College ROI

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Pierpont Community and Technical College

Fairmont, WV 959 Undergrads 34.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$14,707
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,325
After Aid
Median Earnings
$47,693
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,325
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$47,693
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+36%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$35,132
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate34.6%
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 Age24.5
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 Recipients47.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time82.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS51.9%

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
+$510k
-$6k
+$25k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$494k
-$21k
+$10k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$483k
-$33k
-$2k

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
37
∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
48
65%
Full Cost$15k/yr
Never
-6%
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 Return104%

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-13%
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: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,434
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,032
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,101
Earnings (4yr)
$48,638
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,862
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$13,271
Earnings (4yr)
$42,039
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,886
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,920
Earnings (4yr)
$32,259
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,345
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,260
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,821
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$132,580
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$779k
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
AssocCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$118,619
Natl Median: $69,455
Lifetime Value Added
+$656k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,624
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$26,725
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,340
Earnings (4yr)
$40,318
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$91,275
Natl Median: $77,878
Lifetime Value Added
+$396k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,266
Earnings (4yr)
$63,423
Natl Median: $51,780
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,943
Natl Median: $41,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k

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.