10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$138,424at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
College of DuPage
⌖ Glen Ellyn, IL · 28 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$138,424 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
29.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
−66%Modeled 10-year ROI
$52,118Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$7,401Average net price / year
$15,554Cost of attendance
$52,118Median earnings · year 5 after completion
25.2%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
16,114Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$39,600Year 1
$55,984Year 4
$52,118Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Fire Protection · Associate's Degree$89,9912Computer Programming · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$87,3363Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications · Associate's Degree$86,3134Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$78,0795Engineering, General · Associate's Degree$76,1606Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$75,4507Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$70,5548Human Resources Management and Services · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$70,294Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in IL
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Elgin, IL
Elgin Community College
- Annual net price
- $6,026
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,211
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -74%
College of Lake County
- Annual net price
- $7,607
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,905
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -81%
Danville Area Community College
- Annual net price
- $4,777
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,974
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -70%
McHenry County College
- Annual net price
- $7,042
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,703
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -82%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Protection | Associate's Degree | $89,991 | Not available |
| Computer Programming | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $87,336 | $7,812 |
| Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications | Associate's Degree | $86,313 | $8,690 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $78,079 | $15,750 |
| Engineering, General | Associate's Degree | $76,160 | $10,500 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $75,450 | $11,000 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $70,554 | $19,871 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $70,294 | $17,746 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $65,890 | $7,938 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $65,434 | $17,250 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $59,092 | $6,680 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $58,233 | $12,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $57,058 | $14,499 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $56,383 | $17,125 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $54,763 | $11,448 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | Associate's Degree | $52,007 | $10,664 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $51,089 | $9,500 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,083 | $11,250 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $50,503 | Not available |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's Degree | $50,264 | $10,653 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $43,199 | Not available |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $40,306 | $7,521 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $38,780 | $11,500 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Associate's Degree | $36,946 | Not available |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Associate's Degree | Not available | $10,854 |
| Legal Support Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $21,625 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $10,656 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | Not available | $17,284 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.