College ROI

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St Cloud Technical and Community College

Saint Cloud, MN 3,113 Undergrads 36.3% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$21,304
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,905
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,958
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,905
Peer Midpoint: $9,956
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$58,958
Peer Midpoint: $51,775
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$53,305
Peer Midpoint: $45,130
Graduation Rate36.3%
Peer Midpoint: 35.7%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age23.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients47.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time52.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS67.6%

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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$611k
+$87k
+$125k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$584k
+$60k
+$97k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$572k
+$48k
+$85k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
29
355%
Full Cost$21k/yr
31
218%
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 Return511%

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 Return68%

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: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,052
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,045
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$305k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,268
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,757
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,675
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,132
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,749
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,570
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$9,337
Earnings (4yr)
$58,970
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,802
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Median Debt
$12,837
Earnings (4yr)
$63,400
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,199
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,519
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$78,474
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$274k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,055
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,251
Earnings (4yr)
$55,313
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,100
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,223
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$303k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,276
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,234
Natl Median: $55,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,913
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,600
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,424
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,372
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,858
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$77,952
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$283k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$31,855
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,185
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k

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.