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Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA 11,797 Undergrads 21.3% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$15,291
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$7,991
After Aid
Median Earnings
$38,349
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$7,991
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$38,349
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate21.3%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients38.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time39.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS54.6%
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
+$386k
-$3k
-$98k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$372k
-$17k
-$113k
Full Cost$15k/yr
+$358k
-$31k
-$126k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-768%
Full Cost$15k/yr
Never
-449%
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-697%
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-185%
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 Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$7,225
Earnings (2yr)
$23,456
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Ground Transportation
CertCIP: 4902
Median Debt
$3,345
Earnings (5yr)
$45,546
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1508
Median Debt
$4,719
Earnings (5yr)
$60,555
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
CertCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Precision Metal Working
CertCIP: 4805
Median Debt
$7,500
Earnings (5yr)
$42,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Associate's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$12,599
Earnings (5yr)
$46,559
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$9,650
Earnings (5yr)
$52,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$10,450
Earnings (5yr)
$67,446
Lifetime Value Added
+$186k
Biological and Physical Sciences
AssocCIP: 3001
Median Debt
$9,259
Earnings (5yr)
$41,396
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$9,300
Earnings (5yr)
$48,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
AssocCIP: 5204
Median Debt
$20,823
Earnings (5yr)
$33,092
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$13,230
Earnings (5yr)
$42,942
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$13,050
Earnings (5yr)
$43,945
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Culinary Arts and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1205
Median Debt
$16,637
Earnings (5yr)
$24,232
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Design and Applied Arts
AssocCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$11,348
Earnings (5yr)
$29,918
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$9,004
Earnings (5yr)
$79,752
Lifetime Value Added
+$295k
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science
AssocCIP: 1203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,050
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,627
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
AssocCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$16,642
Earnings (5yr)
$28,479
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
$13,307
Earnings (5yr)
$40,986
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (5yr)
$40,534
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$23,200
Earnings (5yr)
$29,906
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$11,600
Earnings (5yr)
$73,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
Social Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$9,163
Earnings (5yr)
$36,694
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$7,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,590
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Visual and Performing Arts, Other
AssocCIP: 5099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$16,820
Lifetime Value Added
-$298k
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.