Southwestern Michigan College

Dowagiac, MI 1,431 Undergrads 30.4% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$15,589

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$5,978

After Aid

Median Earnings

$46,001

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,978

Peer Midpoint: $9,847

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$46,001

Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5

Graduation Rate30.4%

Peer Midpoint: 34.6%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients53.3%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time67.3%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS56.0%

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

+$493k

-$23k

+$8k

Median Cost$6k/yr

+$482k

-$34k

-$3k

Full Cost$16k/yr

+$464k

-$51k

-$20k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$6k/yr

Never

-23%

Full Cost$16k/yr

Never

-70%

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 Return-15%

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 Return-42%

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

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services

CertCIP: 5108

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,272

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

CertCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $47,440

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Carpenters

CertCIP: 4602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,835

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians

CertCIP: 1504

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,202

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

CertCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,906

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Precision Metal Working

CertCIP: 4805

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,702

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians

CertCIP: 4706

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,586

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

AssocCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $47,660

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Agricultural Production Operations

AssocCIP: 0103

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,438

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services

AssocCIP: 5108

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,269

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

AssocCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,733

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Operations Support and Assistant Services

AssocCIP: 5204

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $37,587

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Carpenters

AssocCIP: 4602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $47,382

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Programming

AssocCIP: 1102

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,070

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

AssocCIP: 1109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $54,971

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Criminal Justice and Corrections

AssocCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$43,335

Natl Median: $46,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$29k

Design and Applied Arts

AssocCIP: 5004

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $38,127

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1504

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,046

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General

AssocCIP: 1500

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $62,343

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

Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General

AssocCIP: 5100

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,180

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Health/Medical Preparatory Programs

AssocCIP: 5111

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,711

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

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$7,942

Earnings (4yr)

$37,492

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

-$88k

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

AssocCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$16,981

Earnings (4yr)

$83,660

Natl Median: $80,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$348k

Social Work

AssocCIP: 4407

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,409

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

AssocCIP: 3105

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $40,162

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

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 (5yr)

$64,019

Natl Median: $58,424

Lifetime Value Added

+$159k

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.