College ROI

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Waukesha County Technical College

Pewaukee, WI 4,955 Undergrads 48.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$16,793
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$11,014
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,288
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$11,014
Peer Midpoint: $17,726
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,288
Peer Midpoint: $36,184
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$51,528
Peer Midpoint: $36,543
Graduation Rate48.2%
Peer Midpoint: 69.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age27.5
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 Recipients18.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time32.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 1 Year 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
+$644k
+$240k
+$158k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$634k
+$230k
+$148k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$629k
+$225k
+$142k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
21
∞
Median Cost$11k/yr
22
1447%
Full Cost$17k/yr
23
915%
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 Return1861%

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 Return367%
Warning: Read this ROI with care. Most awards here are certificates, so the model prices a one-year program. The earnings figure covers every graduate, including those who finished longer associate programs that pay more. That mix can make the NPV, Social ROI and Pell ROI look much higher than a typical certificate student will see.

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)
$41,675
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,113
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$247k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Carpenters
CertCIP: 4602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,116
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$35,835
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,096
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$445k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,507
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,820
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
+$267k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
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Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,242
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,700
Earnings (4yr)
$53,590
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,722
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
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Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,847
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
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Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,109
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
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Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,693
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
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Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,267
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$284k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,538
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$232k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,755
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
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Median Debt
$11,551
Earnings (4yr)
$62,093
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,698
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,027
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,509
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,490
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
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Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$64,493
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
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Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,099
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$64,571
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,207
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,891
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,708
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,491
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
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Real Estate
AssocCIP: 5215
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,327
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,277
Earnings (4yr)
$80,515
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,290
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,888
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
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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.