College ROI

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Southeast Technical College

Sioux Falls, SD 2,310 Undergrads 62.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$20,272
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,400
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,289
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,400
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$53,289
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$46,709
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate62.7%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Average Starting Age24.3
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 Recipients38.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time57.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.9%

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
+$565k
+$49k
+$80k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$533k
+$17k
+$48k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$527k
+$12k
+$43k

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
28
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
35
151%
Full Cost$20k/yr
36
115%
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 Return321%

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 Return27%
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: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,752
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
$12,200
Earnings (4yr)
$53,067
Natl Median: $37,083
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,569
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,389
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,993
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,490
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$18,618
Earnings (4yr)
$51,789
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Median Debt
$14,482
Earnings (4yr)
$68,264
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,576
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,777
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$49,039
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,993
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$186k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,859
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
$18,975
Earnings (4yr)
$54,950
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Median Debt
$12,400
Earnings (4yr)
$59,057
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
AssocCIP: 1510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,522
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,730
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
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)
$66,425
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,081
Natl Median: $66,570
Lifetime Value Added
+$187k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,674
Natl Median: $40,095
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,441
Natl Median: $55,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,913
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,597
Natl Median: $36,221
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,951
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,010
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,423
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,276
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,327
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,783
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Median Debt
$19,527
Earnings (4yr)
$69,169
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,041
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k

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.