Inver Hills Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Inver Hills Community College charges a net price of $11,636/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $23,272. Graduates earn a median $49,898 ten years after entry, $1,538/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline, clearing the total in 15.1 years — a 20-year net return of $7,488, a slow but positive payback. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
Inver Hills Community College's 15.1-year payback ranks #964 of 1,280 US colleges we track — better ROI than 25% of them, and #30 of 68 in Minnesota.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $11,636/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $23,272 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $49,898 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | $1,538/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $13,965 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | 15.1 yrs | our math |
| 20-year net return | $7,488 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
How we compute this. Payback = total net cost ÷ annual earnings premium, where the premium is median earnings 10 years after entry minus the $48,360 baseline (BLS 2024 median for a high-school-diploma worker 25+). Total net cost = net price × 2 years. We do not discount future dollars. The institution-wide earnings figure blends every major — a specific program's payback can be far better or worse. Full method on the methodology page.