Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX · 29 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$168,818 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.

40.0 yrsModeled economic break-even
−75%Modeled 10-year ROI
$50,619Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$168,818at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$225,0080
2
4
6
8
−$168,81810
Years after graduationBreak-even: 40.0 years
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 in-state tuition$3,330
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$9,390
Sticker price
Average net price$11,252
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$15,521
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, debt, completion and earnings context

$11,252Average net price / year
$15,521Cost of attendance
$8,600Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$91/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$50,619Median earnings · year 5 after completion
21.1%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
45,188Student size

Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.

PRICE BY FAMILY INCOME

Average net price is not one price

Federal averages for aided students in each family-income band. Your aid offer can differ.

$0–30k$10,657
$30–48k$11,515
$48–75k$11,128
$75–110k$13,120
$110k+$14,572
LONGER-TERM CONTEXT

What happens beyond the first earnings measure

Year 5$50,619
Year 6$32,889
Year 10$42,466
Full-time retention
Not available
Part-time retention
Not available
Completion within 200% of normal time
Not available

Earnings timepoints may use different historical cohorts and should not be read as one group’s guaranteed salary growth.

NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

63thEarnings percentile
5thCompletion percentile
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.

$49,612Median year-4 earnings across reportable program categories
$10,015Median federal debt across categories that report debt
57%Of earnings-reporting categories above their same-field national benchmark
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$34,391Year 1
$52,634Year 4
$50,619Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

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$93,6652Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$83,6363Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$82,4764Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$73,6555Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$71,6646Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$67,2787Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$58,1548Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services · Associate's Degree$54,262

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in TX

Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.

Pasadena, TX

San Jacinto Community College

Annual net price
$12,143
Observed earnings · year 5
$50,896
Modeled 10-year ROI
-74%
Open college profile →
Temple, TX

Temple College

Annual net price
$10,682
Observed earnings · year 5
$48,959
Modeled 10-year ROI
-82%
Open college profile →
Killeen, TX

Central Texas College

Annual net price
$10,265
Observed earnings · year 5
$52,481
Modeled 10-year ROI
-66%
Open college profile →
Brenham, TX

Blinn College District

Annual net price
$10,844
Observed earnings · year 5
$47,870
Modeled 10-year ROI
-87%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree$93,665$15,000
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$83,636$8,875
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$82,476$11,234
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$73,655$10,926
Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$71,664Not available
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$67,278$13,323
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$58,154Not available
Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree$54,262$14,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsAssociate's Degree$53,830$8,479
Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree$53,830Not available
Legal Support ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$53,690$17,251
Precision Metal WorkingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$53,293$4,562
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's Degree$50,935$12,500
Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's Degree$50,531$7,954
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$49,612Not available
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree$48,427Not available
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree$47,859$9,689
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$47,451$5,500
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's Degree$46,772$17,170
Accounting and Related ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$46,136$6,550
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree$44,057$10,542
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$43,120Not available
Business Administration, Management and OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$41,600$10,015
Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$40,990$9,105
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$40,319$4,912
Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree$37,632Not available
Educational/Instructional Media DesignAssociate's Degree$34,994Not available
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$20,853$5,500
Mechanical EngineeringAssociate's DegreeNot available$15,848

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.