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Northeastern Junior College

#5 Best Online Colleges in Colorado
Public Sterling, CO · Town · Rocky Mountains · 87% data
C+ Affordability C+ Value C Earnings
Graduation Rate
55% C
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$39,893 C
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$13,801 C+
19% less than the typical college
Enrollment
786
Earnings -2% vs avg
Graduation -3% vs avg
Net Price +-19% vs avg
Mobility Top 60%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 16.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $16.0 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Best Online Colleges in Colorado.

16.0× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $16.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $830,214.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Every $1 invested returns $16.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Northeastern Junior College Matters

Northeastern Junior College is a public college in Sterling, CO and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
786
Setting
Town
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Business & Marketing, Health Professions

Why students choose Northeastern Junior College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 51% overall
C
Earnings
$39,893 median
C+
Value
2.9× net price
C+
Affordability
$13,801/yr net
C
Graduation
55% graduate
C-
Social Mobility
1.3% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Diversity
0.51 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Northeastern Junior College serves 786 students, focusing on practical programs that lead to immediate employment opportunities. The college specializes in fields like Humanities, Business & Marketing, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Health Professions, and Precision Production. This targeted approach attracts students seeking hands-on experience in their chosen careers.

Graduates from Northeastern Junior College earn a median income of $39,893 ten years after enrolling. While specific mobility rates are not available, the college's focus on career-oriented education suggests a commitment to improving students' economic outcomes. The graduation rate stands at 55%, indicating that many students successfully complete their programs and enter the workforce.

The net price for attending Northeastern Junior College is $13,801, with a median debt of $9,376, making it a relatively affordable option for many students. With 23% of students receiving Pell Grants, financial aid plays a significant role in accessibility. This environment is well-suited for individuals who thrive in practical, hands-on learning situations and are eager to enter the job market quickly.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Northeastern Junior College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Northeastern Junior College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Northeastern Junior College, located in Sterling, Colorado, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 55%.

Retention Rate
73%
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,023
Student–Faculty Ratio
18:1
Diversity Index
0.51
First-Gen Students
38%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Northeastern Junior College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Northeastern Junior College is $8,267, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $13,801. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,206 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,376 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$5,730
Out-of-State
$8,267
Avg Net Price
$13,801
Median Debt
$9,376
Pell Grant Rate
23%
Federal Loan Rate
17%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$10,206
Family Income $30K–$48K
$10,583
Family Income $48K–$75K
$12,983
Family Income $110K+
$20,054

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Northeastern Junior College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Northeastern Junior College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Northeastern Junior College report median earnings of $39,893, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$36,367
8 Years
$39,969
10 Years
$39,893
Debt-to-Earnings
0.24x
Earning > $25K
50%

Earnings Trajectory

$36,367 6yr $39,969 8yr $39,893 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (170)
45%
100% (170)
45%
100% (170)
45%
100% (170)
45%

How Northeastern Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation55%Earnings 10yr$40KNet Price$14KRetention73%Median Debt$9KPell Grant Rate23%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$10K$0-30K$11K$30-48K$13K$48-75K$20K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%13.5%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%9.4%MOBILITY1.28%

College ROI Calculator

Is Northeastern Junior College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Northeastern Junior College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $13,801/year ($55,204 total). Graduates earn $39,893 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $885,418 in total earnings — a net gain of $830,214 (16.0× your investment). The median debt is $9,376, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 55% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$55,204
Projected 20yr Earnings
$885,418
Net Return
$830,214
ROI Multiple
16.0×
Cost Per Year
$13,801
Median Debt
$9,376
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
55%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Northeastern Junior College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Northeastern Junior College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.28%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 13.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $61,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.28%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
9.4%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
13.5%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$83,014
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Northeastern Junior College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Northeastern Junior College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.49, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.49
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
7.3%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$1,238,005
Federal Grants
$468,336
Investment Income
$42,403

Top Programs

The fields Northeastern Junior College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Northeastern Junior College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Northeastern Junior College, located in Sterling, Colorado, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 55%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Northeastern Junior College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Northeastern Junior College is $8,267, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $13,801. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,206 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,376 in federal student loans.

Is Northeastern Junior College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Northeastern Junior College report median earnings of $39,893, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Northeastern Junior College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Northeastern Junior College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.28%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 13.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $61,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Northeastern Junior College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Northeastern Junior College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.49, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Northeastern Junior College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys