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Santiago Canyon College
Orange, CA 10,579 Undergrads 26.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$13,818
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$2,129
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,988
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$2,129
Peer Midpoint: $17,333.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$55,988
Peer Midpoint: $34,461
Graduation Rate26.5%
Peer Midpoint: 68.7%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients12.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time19.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS61.4%
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
+$640k
+$248k
+$155k
Median Cost$2k/yr
+$638k
+$246k
+$153k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$627k
+$235k
+$142k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
21
∞
Median Cost$2k/yr
21
7757%
Full Cost$14k/yr
23
1110%
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 Return2255%
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 Return474%
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
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
CertCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
American Sign Language
CertCIP: 1616
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,771
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
CertCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Programming
CertCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Construction Trades, Other
CertCIP: 4699
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,777
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
CertCIP: 1204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1505
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,268
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
CertCIP: 5218
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Ground Transportation
CertCIP: 4902
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
CertCIP: 1907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
CertCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$4,688
Earnings (4yr)
$47,522
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Precision Metal Working
CertCIP: 4805
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
CertCIP: 0909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,763
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 and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
AssocCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,638
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biological and Physical Sciences
AssocCIP: 3001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,210
Natl Median: $50,181
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,862
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Chemistry
AssocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,597
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication and Media Studies
AssocCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,243
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
AssocCIP: 5102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,082
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 Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
AssocCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,068
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,570
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
AssocCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,134
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1505
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,148
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
AssocCIP: 5218
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Geography and Cartography
AssocCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,052
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
AssocCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Services, General
AssocCIP: 4400
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,100
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
AssocCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
AssocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
AssocCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,229
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
AssocCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,321
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
AssocCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Precision Metal Working
AssocCIP: 4805
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,112
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Real Estate
AssocCIP: 5215
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,327
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
AssocCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,144
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teaching Assistants/Aides
AssocCIP: 1315
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Other Programs
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
DegCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,148
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
-$300k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
DegCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,636
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.