10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$216,012at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Yakima Valley College
⌖ Yakima, WA · 8 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$216,012 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.
200.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−95%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,136Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Yakima Valley College
What does Yakima Valley College cost?
Yakima Valley College reports an average annual net price of $11,843 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Yakima Valley College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $46,136 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Yakima Valley College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $13,966. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Yakima Valley College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 8 field-and-credential outcomes at Yakima 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−$168,640
$8,000Annual price−$200,640
$12,000Current college-wide context−$216,640
$16,000Annual price−$232,640
$24,000Annual price−$264,640
$32,000Annual price−$296,640
$40,000Annual price−$328,640
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- 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
$11,843Average net price / year
$21,199Cost of attendance
$13,966Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$148/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,136Median earnings · year 5 after completion
29.3%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
2,770Student 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
51% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
Borrower count not reportedMedian federal student debt
40% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$40,607Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$48,956Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$47,045Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income32%
Middle income52%
Higher income57%
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 only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$39,055Year 1
$51,006Year 4
$46,136Year 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$93,6482Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's Degree$65,1793Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$60,3054Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$59,3985Business/Commerce, General · Associate's Degree$55,2756Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$48,1037Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services · Associate's Degree$44,6528Business Administration, Management and Operations · Associate's Degree$40,891Observed 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.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree · $93,648 reported+16%vs same-degree national median$17,884federal debt2Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $55,275 reported+11%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $48,103 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$8,367federal debt4Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree · $44,652 reported+6%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's Degree · $65,179 reported-4%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree · $60,305 reported-8%vs same-degree national median$17,697federal debt
Comparable colleges in WA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Vancouver, WA
Clark College
- Annual net price
- $11,465
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,966
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -91%
Wenatchee Valley College
- Annual net price
- $9,722
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,112
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -99%
Clover Park Technical College
- Annual net price
- $9,864
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,782
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -87%
South Puget Sound Community College
- Annual net price
- $9,132
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,080
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
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 | $93,648 | $17,884 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $65,179 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $60,305 | $17,697 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $59,398 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Associate's Degree | $55,275 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $48,103 | $8,367 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $44,652 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $40,891 | Not available | 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.