College ROI

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Western Dakota Technical College

Rapid City, SD 753 Undergrads 47.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$18,845
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,670
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,930
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,670
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$49,930
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$40,240
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate47.0%
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 Age25.9
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 Recipients47.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time67.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS65.2%

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
+$532k
+$16k
+$47k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$508k
-$7k
+$24k
Full Cost$19k/yr
+$497k
-$18k
+$13k

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
31
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
40
103%
Full Cost$19k/yr
48
37%
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 Return177%

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 Return-5%
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: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,826
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$36,793
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,185
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
Median Debt
$6,500
Earnings (4yr)
$39,988
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,350
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,757
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,996
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,720
Earnings (4yr)
$53,976
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
Median Debt
$8,250
Earnings (4yr)
$48,803
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,947
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,161
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
$15,176
Earnings (4yr)
$52,795
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$35,644
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,340
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Median Debt
$14,750
Earnings (4yr)
$59,696
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (4yr)
$46,659
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,204
Natl Median: $70,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,148
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,671
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,236
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,709
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,988
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
$12,483
Earnings (4yr)
$54,948
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k

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.