South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA 3,075 Undergrads 44.8% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$17,888

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$9,132

After Aid

Median Earnings

$50,185

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$9,132

Peer Midpoint: $9,847

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$50,185

Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5

Graduation Rate44.8%

Peer Midpoint: 34.6%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients28.8%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time57.9%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS63.8%

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

+$534k

+$19k

+$50k

Median Cost$9k/yr

+$517k

+$2k

+$33k

Full Cost$18k/yr

+$501k

-$14k

+$17k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$9k/yr

197%

Full Cost$18k/yr

52%

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 Return206%

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 Return3%

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

Business Operations Support and Assistant Services

CertCIP: 5204

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $32,681

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Culinary Arts and Related Services

CertCIP: 1205

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $30,572

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

CertCIP: 5106

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $33,673

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Resources Management and Services

CertCIP: 5210

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $61,907

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

AssocCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$52,662

Natl Median: $47,660

Lifetime Value Added

+$57k

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services

AssocCIP: 5108

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$40,895

Natl Median: $42,269

Lifetime Value Added

-$59k

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)

$47,244

Natl Median: $48,733

Lifetime Value Added

+$4k

Business/Commerce, General

AssocCIP: 5201

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$61,110

Natl Median: $49,927

Lifetime Value Added

+$138k

Computer Programming

AssocCIP: 1102

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$44,890

Natl Median: $58,070

Lifetime Value Added

-$19k

Computer Software and Media Applications

AssocCIP: 1108

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,737

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

AssocCIP: 1109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$65,707

Natl Median: $54,971

Lifetime Value Added

+$181k

Culinary Arts and Related Services

AssocCIP: 1205

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,605

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Data Processing

AssocCIP: 1103

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,859

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

AssocCIP: 5106

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$36,237

Natl Median: $61,982

Lifetime Value Added

-$107k

Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1513

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,895

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fire Protection

AssocCIP: 4302

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,589

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Health and Medical Administrative Services

AssocCIP: 5107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $37,073

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,593

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Legal Support Services

AssocCIP: 2203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$45,368

Natl Median: $44,669

Lifetime Value Added

-$15k

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$10,998

Earnings (4yr)

$43,024

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

-$38k

Physical Sciences, General

AssocCIP: 4001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,076

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Precision Metal Working

AssocCIP: 4805

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,451

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

AssocCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$19,663

Earnings (4yr)

$85,161

Natl Median: $80,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$355k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

AssocCIP: 1312

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $37,656

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.