Years of earnings to cover four years of college for families earning under $30,000, by state

Median across four-year public and private nonprofit colleges of four years of net price for families earning $0–$30,000 divided by former students' median earnings ten years after entry. Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. Source reporting year 2025.

Median years of earnings to cover four years of net price, families earning under $30,000

0.6 yrs–0.9 yrs
0.9 yrs–1.0 yrs
1.0 yrs–1.2 yrs
1.2 yrs–1.4 yrs
Not reported

Source: CollegesRef analysis of U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data. Hover or tab to a state for details; select it to open its colleges.

Map by CollegesRef, What low-income students pay vs what graduates earn.