10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$226,284at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA · 10 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 10 · Federal debt reported for 3
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$226,284 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
524.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−98%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,440Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
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.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $23,897 housing and food allowance plus $5,480 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
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−$175,600
$8,000Annual price−$207,600
$13,000Current college-wide context−$227,600
$16,000Annual price−$239,600
$24,000Annual price−$271,600
$32,000Annual price−$303,600
$40,000Annual price−$335,600
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Main award level
- Associate degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
1,855 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in California run 11% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$12,671Average net price / year
$22,104Cost of attendance
$4,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$48/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$45,440Median earnings · year 5 after completion
35.5%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
18,614Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Southwestern College
What does Southwestern College cost?
Southwestern College reports an average annual net price of $12,671 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Southwestern College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $45,440 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Southwestern College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $4,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Southwestern College worth the same?
No. The current release contains 10 field-and-degree records for Southwestern College; 10 report year-4 earnings and 3 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
29,888Students enrolled at any point
29,888Undergraduate students
Not availableGraduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
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
37% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
Borrower count not reportedMedian federal student debt
42% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$38,311Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$43,086Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$48,062Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income36%
Middle incomeNot reported
Higher incomeNot reported
Undergraduate student composition
White14%
Black5%
Hispanic64%
Asian9%
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.
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 every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$32,035Year 1
$48,974Year 4
$45,440Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$113,3022Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$59,0703Business Administration, Management and Operations · Associate's Degree$51,0824Criminal Justice and Corrections · Associate's Degree$49,6895Sociology · Associate's Degree$42,1706Psychology, General · Associate's Degree$41,9957Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Associate's Degree$41,1718Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$39,527Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
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.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree · $113,302 reported+40%vs same-degree national median$10,616federal debt2Psychology, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $41,995 reported+7%vs same-degree national median$12,500federal debt3Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree · $49,689 reported+6%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's Degree · $51,082 reported+5%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's Degree · $41,171 reported+3%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree · $33,801 reported-1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in CA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Compton, CA
Compton College
- Annual net price
- $12,647
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,489
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -94%
Los Angeles Valley College
- Annual net price
- $12,152
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,873
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -101%
Los Angeles Pierce College
- Annual net price
- $13,270
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,024
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -96%
Cuesta College
- Annual net price
- $12,124
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,582
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -93%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 10 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $113,302 | $10,616 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $59,070 | $10,500 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $51,082 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $49,689 | Not available | Not reported |
| Sociology | Associate's Degree | $42,170 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Associate's Degree | $41,995 | $12,500 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Associate's Degree | $41,171 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $39,527 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Associate's Degree | $37,303 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $33,801 | Not available | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
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.