College ROI

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West Georgia Technical College

Waco, GA 5,163 Undergrads 35.3% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$11,578
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$2,469
After Aid
Median Earnings
$44,488
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$2,469
Peer Midpoint: $17,726
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$44,488
Peer Midpoint: $36,184
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,700
Peer Midpoint: $36,543
Graduation Rate35.3%
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 age (2015-17)25.9
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 Recipients59.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time32.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS55.1%

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
+$510k
+$106k
+$24k
Median Cost$2k/yr
+$508k
+$104k
+$21k
Full Cost$12k/yr
+$499k
+$95k
+$13k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$2k/yr
32
933%
Full Cost$12k/yr
39
120%
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 Return355%

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 Return46%

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: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,424
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,652
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,044
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,709
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$5,912
Earnings (4yr)
$20,155
Natl Median: $26,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $30,572
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Data Processing
CertCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,061
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$29,194
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,022
Natl Median: $52,118
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Median Debt
$5,142
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,434
Natl Median: $43,833
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,981
Natl Median: $62,199
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,083
Earnings (4yr)
$36,888
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,876
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$29,391
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,547
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,357
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,535
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,202
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,890
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,638
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,382
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,846
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Data Processing
AssocCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,733
Natl Median: $51,859
Lifetime Value Added
+$137k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,871
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $63,241
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
AssocCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$8,606
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,886
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$449k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,604
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k

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.