College ROI

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Southern Technical College

Fort Myers, FL 550 Undergrads 24.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$26,505
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,171
After Aid
Median Earnings
$43,649
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,171
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$43,649
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$36,155
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate24.3%
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 Age29.8
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 Recipients72.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time59.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.5%

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
+$469k
-$46k
-$15k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$430k
-$85k
-$54k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$421k
-$95k
-$64k

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$21k/yr
Never
-139%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-131%
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-138%

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-85%
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
$11,098
Earnings (4yr)
$32,958
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Median Debt
$14,333
Earnings (4yr)
$37,896
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,673
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,650
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
$29,430
Earnings (4yr)
$53,458
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,987
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,459
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,752
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,666
Earnings (4yr)
$85,126
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$333k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Data Processing
BachCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,978
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,852
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,581
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,757
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
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.