10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$189,468at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Rock Valley College
⌖ Rockford, IL · 7 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$189,468 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.
174.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
−94%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,150Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Rock Valley College
What does Rock Valley College cost?
Rock Valley College reports an average annual net price of $5,242 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Rock Valley College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $46,150 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Rock Valley College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $8,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Rock Valley College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 7 field-and-credential outcomes at Rock Valley 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−$168,500
$5,000Current college-wide context−$188,500
$8,000Annual price−$200,500
$16,000Annual price−$232,500
$24,000Annual price−$264,500
$32,000Annual price−$296,500
$40,000Annual price−$328,500
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
$5,242Average net price / year
$11,920Cost of attendance
$8,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$90/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,150Median earnings · year 5 after completion
37.3%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
4,359Student 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
34% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
12 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
44% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$35,744Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$43,686Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$54,192Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income31%
Middle income61%
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.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 46
$91,987Year 1
$104,398Year 5
$106,266Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 43
Not availableYear 1
$49,855Year 5
$97,476Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 47
$53,343Year 1
$69,154Year 5
$91,987Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$55,111Year 1
$69,154Year 5
$89,458Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Associate degree · Broad federal field 43
$41,695Year 1
$49,659Year 5
$87,070Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 47
$53,162Year 1
$70,298Year 5
$80,415Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$64,740Year 1
$68,968Year 5
$76,717Year 10
Computer Programming.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 11
$47,346Year 1
$60,508Year 5
$73,958Year 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
$35,681Year 1
$50,028Year 4
$46,150Year 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.
1Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$83,4282Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$83,3733Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$76,6604Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$75,5785Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$48,0056Biological and Physical Sciences · Associate's Degree$47,6797Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$44,072Observed 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 · $75,578 reported+47%vs same-degree national median$8,745federal debt2Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · $83,428 reported+43%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's Degree · $76,660 reported+24%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree · $83,373 reported+3%vs same-degree national median$15,750federal debt5Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $44,072 reported-0%vs same-degree national median$7,035federal debt6Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's Degree · $47,679 reported-5%vs same-degree national median$6,632federal debt
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.
Freeport, IL
Highland Community College
- Annual net price
- $5,713
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,875
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -96%
Morton College
- Annual net price
- $5,191
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,967
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
Lincoln Land Community College
- Annual net price
- $4,299
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,142
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -94%
Kishwaukee College
- Annual net price
- $4,574
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,285
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -88%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $83,428 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $83,373 | $15,750 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $76,660 | Not available | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $75,578 | $8,745 | 183 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $48,005 | $8,018 | Not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | Associate's Degree | $47,679 | $6,632 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $44,072 | $7,035 | 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.