10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$195,838at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Lake Superior College
⌖ Duluth, MN · 16 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$195,838 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.
52.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
−81%Modeled 10-year ROI
$49,613Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Lake Superior College
What does Lake Superior College cost?
Lake Superior College reports an average annual net price of $15,492 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Lake Superior College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $49,613 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Lake Superior College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $12,775. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Lake Superior College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 16 field-and-credential outcomes at Lake Superior 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−$133,870
$8,000Annual price−$165,870
$15,000Current college-wide context−$193,870
$16,000Current college-wide context−$197,870
$24,000Annual price−$229,870
$32,000Annual price−$261,870
$40,000Annual price−$293,870
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- 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
$15,492Average net price / year
$19,723Cost of attendance
$12,775Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$135/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$49,613Median earnings · year 5 after completion
41.8%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
2,471Student 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
36% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
61 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
43% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$39,316Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$52,941Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$54,375Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income35%
Middle income58%
Higher income65%
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
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection.Associate degree · Broad federal field 46
$46,142Year 1
$68,098Year 5
$87,772Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Associate degree · Broad federal field 43
$54,051Year 1
$67,570Year 5
$83,213Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$57,945Year 1
$66,271Year 5
$74,510Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$53,407Year 1
$69,961Year 5
$73,321Year 10
Computer Programming.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 11
$43,047Year 1
Not availableYear 5
$71,605Year 10
Computer Programming.Associate degree · Broad federal field 11
$48,487Year 1
$63,769Year 5
$71,441Year 10
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection.Certificate, 2–4 years · Broad federal field 46
$50,311Year 1
$78,170Year 5
$71,441Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 51
$40,014Year 1
$43,931Year 5
$63,851Year 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
$44,120Year 1
$57,665Year 4
$49,613Year 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.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$76,7702Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$72,6993Fire Protection · Associate's Degree$66,8544Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$65,0395Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$64,3856Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$62,7737Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$62,0348Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Associate's Degree$57,948Observed 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.
1Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $64,385 reported+25%vs same-degree national median$12,000federal debt2Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · $72,699 reported+24%vs same-degree national median$19,441federal debt3Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree · $50,190 reported+19%vs same-degree national median$26,611federal debt4Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's Degree · $56,674 reported+16%vs same-degree national median$15,250federal debt5Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $65,039 reported+16%vs same-degree national median$11,969federal debt6Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $50,382 reported+14%vs same-degree national median$13,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in MN
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Rochester, MN
Rochester Community and Technical College
- Annual net price
- $14,435
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,858
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -84%
Central Lakes College-Brainerd
- Annual net price
- $13,869
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,864
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -84%
Minnesota State College Southeast
- Annual net price
- $16,140
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,411
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
Southwest Minnesota State University
- Annual net price
- $15,291
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $52,326
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -70%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $76,770 | $27,655 | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $72,699 | $19,441 | 18 |
| Fire Protection | Associate's Degree | $66,854 | Not available | Not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $65,039 | $11,969 | 18 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $64,385 | $12,000 | 19 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $62,773 | $19,750 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $62,034 | $20,250 | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Associate's Degree | $57,948 | $16,750 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $56,674 | $15,250 | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,775 | $13,350 | 19 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $50,382 | $13,000 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $50,190 | $26,611 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $48,861 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $36,081 | $16,000 | 30 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $35,093 | Not available | 5 |
| Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $33,438 | $11,000 | 19 |
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.