College ROI

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South Louisiana Community College

Lafayette, LA 5,035 Undergrads 33.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,044
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,564
After Aid
Median Earnings
$45,336
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,564
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$45,336
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+44%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$31,432
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate33.2%
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 Age24.2
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 Recipients59.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time60.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS49.3%

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
+$486k
-$29k
+$2k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$463k
-$52k
-$21k
Full Cost$19k/yr
+$451k
-$64k
-$33k

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
58
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
Never
-92%
Full Cost$19k/yr
Never
-95%
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-65%

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-60%
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

Air Transportation
CertCIP: 4901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$29,397
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,782
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
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)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$22,441
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$6,062
Earnings (4yr)
$55,415
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,422
Natl Median: $43,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $27,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,758
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $53,975
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,032
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$7,250
Earnings (4yr)
$69,576
Natl Median: $71,963
Lifetime Value Added
+$280k
Median Debt
$13,062
Earnings (4yr)
$46,831
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Median Debt
$5,750
Earnings (4yr)
$43,484
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,728
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,640
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$17,396
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$301k
Median Debt
$12,400
Earnings (4yr)
$38,236
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,737
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,750
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,050
Earnings (4yr)
$32,272
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,241
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
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,017
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,243
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Median Debt
$15,210
Earnings (4yr)
$36,681
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,125
Earnings (4yr)
$83,584
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$335k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
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.