College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Suffolk County Community College

Selden, NY 14,218 Undergrads 36.4% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$13,046
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$5,315
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,343
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,315
Peer Midpoint: $9,956
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,343
Peer Midpoint: $51,775
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$54,024
Peer Midpoint: $45,130
Graduation Rate36.4%
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 age (2015-17)21.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time65.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS64.9%

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
+$567k
+$43k
+$81k
Median Cost$5k/yr
+$557k
+$33k
+$71k
Full Cost$13k/yr
+$543k
+$19k
+$57k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$5k/yr
30
726%
Full Cost$13k/yr
33
236%
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 Return554%

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 Return92%

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: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,709
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Median Debt
$9,862
Earnings (5yr)
$76,993
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$347k
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
$6,750
Earnings (4yr)
$56,569
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,171
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,886
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,181
Natl Median: $35,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
$8,825
Earnings (4yr)
$53,729
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,227
Natl Median: $43,243
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,581
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,057
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Median Debt
$7,781
Earnings (4yr)
$52,140
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,131
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,147
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,741
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$254k
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,446
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,500
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,614
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,945
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
$6,798
Earnings (4yr)
$45,964
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$8,715
Earnings (4yr)
$105,740
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$549k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,695
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,700
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,976
Natl Median: $41,460
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,099
Natl Median: $32,799
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k

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.