10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$178,836at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Del Mar College
⌖ Corpus Christi, TX · 14 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$178,836 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
131.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−92%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,476Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Del Mar College
What does Del Mar College cost?
Del Mar College reports an average annual net price of $3,399 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Del Mar College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $46,476 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Del Mar College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $5,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Del Mar College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 14 field-and-credential outcomes at Del Mar College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$165,240
$3,000Current college-wide context−$177,240
$8,000Annual price−$197,240
$16,000Annual price−$229,240
$24,000Annual price−$261,240
$32,000Annual price−$293,240
$40,000Annual price−$325,240
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Associate degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$3,399Average net price / year
$12,895Cost of attendance
$5,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$58/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,476Median earnings · year 5 after completion
11.1%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
9,501Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
23% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
21 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
40% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$36,225Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$45,268Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$49,034Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income35%
Middle income49%
Higher income56%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 41
$55,680Year 1
$89,177Year 5
$153,413Year 10
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 41
$58,858Year 1
$108,135Year 5
$149,935Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 47
$44,398Year 1
$62,571Year 5
$96,791Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$61,332Year 1
$73,341Year 5
$85,116Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Associate degree · Broad federal field 26
Not availableYear 1
$50,311Year 5
$84,159Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$51,449Year 1
$70,441Year 5
$83,557Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 47
$48,658Year 1
$65,986Year 5
$76,435Year 10
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 46
$44,398Year 1
$52,636Year 5
$69,536Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$43,820Year 1
$57,250Year 4
$46,476Year 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.
1Physical Science Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$98,1532Precision Metal Working · Associate's Degree$79,3033Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$78,8774Management Information Systems and Services · Associate's Degree$67,3725Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$65,1066Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$64,8497Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$63,2658Precision Metal Working · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$57,598Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Precision Metal WorkingAssociate's Degree · $79,303 reported+40%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Physical Science Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · $98,153 reported+22%vs same-degree national median$7,000federal debt3Management Information Systems and ServicesAssociate's Degree · $67,372 reported+19%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Precision Metal WorkingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $57,598 reported+18%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's Degree · $46,512 reported+16%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree · $48,674 reported+15%vs same-degree national median$7,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in TX
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
San Antonio, TX
St Philip's College
- Annual net price
- $4,273
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,227
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -89%
San Antonio College
- Annual net price
- $4,585
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,334
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -88%
Kilgore College
- Annual net price
- $5,364
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,073
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
Lamar State College-Orange
- Annual net price
- $1,655
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,340
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -87%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Science Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $98,153 | $7,000 | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Associate's Degree | $79,303 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $78,877 | $10,601 | 0 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Associate's Degree | $67,372 | Not available | Not reported |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $65,106 | $5,920 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $64,849 | $7,000 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $63,265 | Not available | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $57,598 | Not available | 84 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $53,377 | $6,250 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $49,598 | $7,354 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $48,674 | $7,000 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $47,511 | $8,680 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Associate's Degree | $46,512 | Not available | Not reported |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $24,291 | Not available | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
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.