10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$221,148at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Pikes Peak State College
⌖ Colorado Springs, CO · 19 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$221,148 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.
Not availableModeled economic break-even
−108%Modeled 10-year ROI
$43,288Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Pikes Peak State College
What does Pikes Peak State College cost?
Pikes Peak State College reports an average annual net price of $6,007 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Pikes Peak State College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $43,288 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Pikes Peak State College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $9,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Pikes Peak State College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 19 field-and-credential outcomes at Pikes Peak State 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−$197,120
$6,000Current college-wide context−$221,120
$8,000Annual price−$229,120
$16,000Annual price−$261,120
$24,000Annual price−$293,120
$32,000Annual price−$325,120
$40,000Annual price−$357,120
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
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$6,007Average net price / year
$18,473Cost of attendance
$9,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$95/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$43,288Median earnings · year 5 after completion
20.6%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
9,595Student 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
25% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
73 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
35% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$37,218Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$45,863Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$49,239Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income28%
Middle income49%
Higher income61%
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
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 43
$36,745Year 1
$55,621Year 5
$92,673Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Associate degree · Broad federal field 43
$51,627Year 1
$62,620Year 5
$82,839Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$56,723Year 1
$65,443Year 5
$81,043Year 10
Computer Programming.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 11
$39,827Year 1
$67,394Year 5
$76,644Year 10
Computer Programming.Associate degree · Broad federal field 11
$43,240Year 1
$63,071Year 5
$73,958Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$47,878Year 1
$56,877Year 5
$72,095Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 43
$55,307Year 1
$61,827Year 5
$66,514Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 15
$43,696Year 1
$50,311Year 5
$62,224Year 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
$34,425Year 1
$48,538Year 4
$43,288Year 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$74,5902Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) · Associate's Degree$67,3083Criminal Justice and Corrections · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$66,8304Accounting and Related Services · Associate's Degree$54,2255Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$53,2116Precision Metal Working · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$48,2237Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$48,1238Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$47,241Observed 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.
1Criminal Justice and CorrectionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $66,830 reported+16%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Associate's Degree · $67,308 reported+16%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree · $54,225 reported+14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Health and Medical Administrative ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $40,150 reported+13%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $48,123 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$11,000federal debt6Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree · $41,389 reported+5%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in CO
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Glenwood Springs, CO
Colorado Mountain College
- Annual net price
- $7,813
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,575
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -97%
Morgan Community College
- Annual net price
- $9,266
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $42,301
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -112%
Technical College of the Rockies
- Annual net price
- $3,796
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $40,667
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -122%
Trinidad State College
- Annual net price
- $10,772
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $41,284
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -117%
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 | $74,590 | $21,131 | Not reported |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) | Associate's Degree | $67,308 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $66,830 | Not available | 60 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $54,225 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,211 | Not available | 181 |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $48,223 | Not available | 42 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $48,123 | $11,000 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $47,241 | Not available | 28 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $46,631 | Not available | 47 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $46,350 | Not available | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Associate's Degree | $45,322 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Support Services | Associate's Degree | $41,460 | Not available | Not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $41,389 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $40,331 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $40,150 | Not available | 2 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $36,956 | Not available | Not reported |
| Graphic Communications | Associate's Degree | $34,178 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $30,538 | Not available | 35 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $22,848 | Not available | 75 |
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.