College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Walters State Community College

Morristown, TN 3,781 Undergrads 32.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$12,827
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$4,153
After Aid
Median Earnings
$37,085
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$4,153
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$37,085
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate32.7%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time70.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS52.4%

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
+$374k
-$15k
-$110k
Median Cost$4k/yr
+$367k
-$22k
-$118k
Full Cost$13k/yr
+$351k
-$38k
-$134k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$4k/yr
Never
-1542%
Full Cost$13k/yr
Never
-567%
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-902%

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-219%
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 and Medical Assisting Services
CertCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,855
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
CertCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,143
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
CertCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,801
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,206
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,959
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,960
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,794
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Education, General
AssocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,461
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,319
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,545
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,671
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k

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.