College ROI

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Virginia Western Community College

Roanoke, VA 3,898 Undergrads 35.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$11,768
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$4,966
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,004
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$4,966
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$48,004
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$38,787
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate35.6%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age24.1
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients48.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time38.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS57.4%

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$513k
-$3k
+$28k
Median Cost$5k/yr
+$504k
-$12k
+$19k
Full Cost$12k/yr
+$491k
-$24k
+$7k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
36
∞
Median Cost$5k/yr
41
211%
Full Cost$12k/yr
52
31%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return181%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return14%
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, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,658
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,697
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,004
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,529
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,240
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,602
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,928
Natl Median: $49,492
Lifetime Value Added
+$140k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,019
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,670
Earnings (4yr)
$40,327
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,813
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Homeland Security
CertCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,995
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$30,845
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,799
Earnings (4yr)
$42,073
Natl Median: $44,906
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,436
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Median Debt
$19,039
Earnings (4yr)
$61,639
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,278
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,073
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,964
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,088
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
$6,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,601
Natl Median: $50,181
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
$10,875
Earnings (4yr)
$42,202
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,933
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,094
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,760
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,513
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$9,091
Earnings (4yr)
$72,417
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$249k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,086
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,303
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 Technologies/Technicians, General
AssocCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,206
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,524
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,609
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
$9,799
Earnings (4yr)
$41,248
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$28,573
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Median Debt
$12,789
Earnings (4yr)
$71,142
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$237k
Median Debt
$9,346
Earnings (4yr)
$38,545
Natl Median: $43,146
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k

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.