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Rio Salado College

Tempe, AZ 11,668 Undergrads 41.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$13,425
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,341
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,656
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,341
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$58,656
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+43%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,015
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate41.4%
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 Age30.2
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 Recipients29.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time15.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS65.6%

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
+$616k
+$100k
+$132k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$601k
+$85k
+$116k
Full Cost$13k/yr
+$591k
+$76k
+$107k

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
25
∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
27
760%
Full Cost$13k/yr
28
434%
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 Return932%

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 Return189%
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: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,135
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,390
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Data Processing
CertCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,531
Natl Median: $46,061
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,418
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,091
Natl Median: $45,745
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Insurance
CertCIP: 5217
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,539
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,242
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,341
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,699
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,619
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,264
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$264k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,180
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,874
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$8,125
Earnings (4yr)
$54,628
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,496
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Median Debt
$12,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,899
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,042
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,047
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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 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.