College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

South Hills School of Business & Technology

State College, PA 260 Undergrads 64.9% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$27,981
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,673
After Aid
Median Earnings
$42,821
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,673
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$42,821
Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5
Graduation Rate64.9%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Average Starting Age24.6
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 Recipients49.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS58.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
97.3%
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)
⚠️ 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
+$461k
-$54k
-$23k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$425k
-$91k
-$59k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$410k
-$106k
-$75k

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
Never
-∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-164%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-145%
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 Return-165%

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-92%
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
⚠️ 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

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,457
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$331k

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,383
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$35,168
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$71,444
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,942
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Computer Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,162
Natl Median: $62,283
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,089
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,870
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,722
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k

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. 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.