10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$212,994at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Southwestern Community College
⌖ Creston, IA · 5 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$212,994 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.
338.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−97%Modeled 10-year ROI
$45,649Observed earnings · year 5
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.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$9,871Average net price / year
$16,951Cost of attendance
$45,649Median earnings · year 5 after completion
59.3%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
729Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$39,446Year 1
$51,650Year 4
$45,649Year 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$74,6242Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$69,2713Business Administration, Management and Operations · Associate's Degree$45,7104Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$44,2615Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$41,170Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in IA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Mason City, IA
North Iowa Area Community College
- Annual net price
- $10,010
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,087
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -100%
Iowa Central Community College
- Annual net price
- $9,328
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,939
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -96%
Western Iowa Tech Community College
- Annual net price
- $8,770
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,729
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -97%
Kirkwood Community College
- Annual net price
- $9,705
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,921
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -91%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $74,624 | $20,300 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $69,271 | $16,343 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $45,710 | Not available |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,261 | Not available |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $41,170 | $11,000 |
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.