10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$186,484at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Harrisburg Area Community College
⌖ Harrisburg, PA · 31 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$186,484 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.
46.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−78%Modeled 10-year ROI
$50,140Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
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.
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college—not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- 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
$14,471Average net price / year
$18,369Cost of attendance
$17,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$186/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$50,140Median earnings · year 5 after completion
20.7%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
9,533Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
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
$43,493Year 1
$54,031Year 4
$50,140Year 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$83,3372Engineering, General · Associate's Degree$76,6963Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$71,1044Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$66,0485Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) · Associate's Degree$63,2496Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$60,1727Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$56,3198Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$56,279Observed 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.
1Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's Degree · $45,936 reported+24%vs same-degree national median$31,585federal debt2Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $39,802 reported+16%vs same-degree national median$14,250federal debt3Public HealthAssociate's Degree · $50,630 reported+16%vs same-degree national median$23,578federal debt4Psychology, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $44,652 reported+14%vs same-degree national median$17,250federal debt5Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree · $71,104 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$24,150federal debt6Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Associate's Degree · $63,249 reported+9%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in PA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Lincoln University, PA
Lincoln University
- Annual net price
- $14,977
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,469
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -77%
York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education
- Annual net price
- $13,490
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,506
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -81%
Community College of Allegheny County
- Annual net price
- $13,970
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,518
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -85%
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
- Annual net price
- $14,265
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,530
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -89%
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 | $83,337 | $28,250 | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Associate's Degree | $76,696 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $71,104 | $24,150 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $66,048 | Not available | Not reported |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) | Associate's Degree | $63,249 | Not available | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $60,172 | Not available | Not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $56,319 | Not available | 88 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $56,279 | $29,792 | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Associate's Degree | $54,807 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $53,524 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $52,229 | $16,700 | Not reported |
| Public Health | Associate's Degree | $50,630 | $23,578 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $49,845 | $15,750 | Not reported |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | Associate's Degree | $47,447 | $15,938 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $47,037 | $17,755 | Not reported |
| Social Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $46,654 | $23,500 | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $45,936 | $31,585 | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Associate's Degree | $45,247 | $19,976 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Associate's Degree | $44,652 | $17,250 | Not reported |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | Associate's Degree | $44,469 | $21,141 | Not reported |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Associate's Degree | $44,256 | $17,500 | Not reported |
| Legal Support Services | Associate's Degree | $43,996 | $13,337 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $43,159 | $16,643 | Not reported |
| Human Services, General | Associate's Degree | $42,048 | $36,401 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's Degree | $39,960 | $16,838 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,802 | $14,250 | 59 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | Associate's Degree | $39,729 | $18,375 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $35,742 | Not available | 36 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's Degree | $35,131 | $17,500 | Not reported |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Associate's Degree | Not available | $26,706 | Not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Associate's Degree | Not available | $17,392 | 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.