Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Richland Community College

Decatur, IL · 4 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$161,714 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.

58.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
−83%Modeled 10-year ROI
$48,325Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$161,714at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$194,9640
2
4
6
8
−$161,71410
Years after graduationBreak-even: 58.6 years
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.

Published in-state tuition$4,680
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$17,070
Sticker price
Average net price$3,741
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$11,483
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, completion and earnings context

$3,741Average net price / year
$11,483Cost of attendance
$48,325Median earnings · year 5 after completion
60.3%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
1,346Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

57thEarnings percentile
53thCompletion percentile
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$45,854Year 1
$51,785Year 4
$48,325Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

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$82,6232Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$69,1653Biological and Physical Sciences · Associate's Degree$44,2594Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$40,715

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

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.

Chicago Heights, IL

Prairie State College

Annual net price
$4,738
Observed earnings · year 5
$48,170
Modeled 10-year ROI
-84%
Open college profile →
Palos Hills, IL

Moraine Valley Community College

Annual net price
$2,829
Observed earnings · year 5
$47,991
Modeled 10-year ROI
-84%
Open college profile →
River Grove, IL

Triton College

Annual net price
$4,138
Observed earnings · year 5
$49,252
Modeled 10-year ROI
-78%
Open college profile →
Oglesby, IL

Illinois Valley Community College

Annual net price
$2,232
Observed earnings · year 5
$48,589
Modeled 10-year ROI
-81%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree$82,623$11,000
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$69,165Not available
Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's Degree$44,259Not available
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree$40,715$8,125

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.