College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

SOWELA Technical Community College

Lake Charles, LA 2,966 Undergrads 48.6% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$15,188
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,795
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,151
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,795
Peer Midpoint: $17,726
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$67,151
Peer Midpoint: $36,184
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+70%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$39,491
Peer Midpoint: $36,543
Graduation Rate48.6%
Peer Midpoint: 69.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age24.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients51.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time60.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS55.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 1 Year 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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$744k
+$340k
+$258k
Median Cost$7k/yr
+$738k
+$333k
+$251k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$730k
+$326k
+$243k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
20
∞
Median Cost$7k/yr
21
3985%
Full Cost$15k/yr
21
1728%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return3472%

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 Return768%
Warning: Read this ROI with care. Most awards here are certificates, so the model prices a one-year program. The earnings figure covers every graduate, including those who finished longer associate programs that pay more. That mix can make the NPV, Social ROI and Pell ROI look much higher than a typical certificate student will see.

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,577
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Forestry
CertCIP: 0305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,345
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,806
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,796
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,669
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,091
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,884
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,019
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,057
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$415k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$127,701
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
+$742k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,768
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,515
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
Try this program with your own numbers →
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.