College ROI

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South Central College

North Mankato, MN 1,946 Undergrads 35.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$15,401
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$9,082
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,003
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$9,082
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$52,003
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,068
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate35.5%
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 Recipients44.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time47.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.9%

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
+$552k
+$36k
+$68k
Median Cost$9k/yr
+$535k
+$20k
+$51k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$524k
+$8k
+$39k

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
29
∞
Median Cost$9k/yr
33
306%
Full Cost$15k/yr
36
139%
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 Return372%

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 Return47%
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: $43,930
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,644
Natl Median: $60,506
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,010
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,118
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,130
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,414
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,793
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$204k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,007
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
Median Debt
$3,332
Earnings (4yr)
$54,263
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,884
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,971
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,282
Natl Median: $47,825
Lifetime Value Added
+$130k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,712
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,294
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$51,482
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,403
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,458
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
AssocCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,319
Earnings (4yr)
$66,932
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,924
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,600
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,550
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,560
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
$7,025
Earnings (4yr)
$66,820
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,769
Natl Median: $36,221
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,675
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
+$266k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,497
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,041
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,351
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,760
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Median Debt
$18,385
Earnings (4yr)
$85,685
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$360k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k

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.