College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

St Clair County Community College

Port Huron, MI 1,955 Undergrads 28.3% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$12,153
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,145
After Aid
Median Earnings
$40,177
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,145
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$40,177
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate28.3%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients40.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time45.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS57.0%

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
+$403k
+$14k
-$81k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$389k
-$470
-$96k
Full Cost$12k/yr
+$381k
-$8k
-$103k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-641%
Full Cost$12k/yr
Never
-463%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-714%

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-179%
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

Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
CertCIP: 5139
Median Debt
$13,007
Earnings (5yr)
$57,797
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,663
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,421
Lifetime Value Added
-$216k
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,938
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$262k
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,813
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$7,133
Earnings (5yr)
$38,340
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$18,773
Earnings (5yr)
$74,418
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.