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Portland Community College
Portland, OR 18,365 Undergrads 18.1% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$17,271
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$9,920
After Aid
Median Earnings
$44,592
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$9,920
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$44,592
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate18.1%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time43.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS60.5%
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
+$445k
+$56k
-$40k
Median Cost$10k/yr
+$427k
+$38k
-$58k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$413k
+$24k
-$71k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$10k/yr
Never
-318%
Full Cost$17k/yr
Never
-225%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-298%
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-107%
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 (5yr)
$44,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
CertCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$8,750
Earnings (5yr)
$40,557
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$92,397
Lifetime Value Added
+$487k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
CertCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Computer Programming
CertCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,818
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
CertCIP: 5106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,630
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Design and Applied Arts
CertCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,944
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,833
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
CertCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,717
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
CertCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,682
Lifetime Value Added
+$451k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,567
Lifetime Value Added
+$140k
Associate's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$44,473
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$87,283
Lifetime Value Added
+$358k
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services
AssocCIP: 0106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
AssocCIP: 1405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$311k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$12,800
Earnings (5yr)
$49,470
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,189
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,151
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,557
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Computer Software and Media Applications
AssocCIP: 1108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,936
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
AssocCIP: 1110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,804
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$18,584
Earnings (5yr)
$46,875
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5106
Median Debt
$16,625
Earnings (5yr)
$48,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$17,506
Earnings (5yr)
$45,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1513
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,324
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$87,006
Lifetime Value Added
+$355k
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,704
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,736
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)
AssocCIP: 4702
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$51,482
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,086
Lifetime Value Added
+$321k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$12,448
Earnings (5yr)
$43,197
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1508
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Lifetime Value Added
+$178k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,652
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5118
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,143
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Precision Metal Working
AssocCIP: 4805
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,213
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$21,634
Earnings (5yr)
$98,021
Lifetime Value Added
+$452k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
AssocCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$12,666
Earnings (5yr)
$64,976
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 0183
Median Debt
$19,999
Earnings (5yr)
$40,877
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Zoology/Animal Biology
AssocCIP: 2607
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.