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PCI Academy-Ames

Private for-profit Ames, IA · Urban · Plains · 80% data
B- Graduation C- Affordability D+ Diversity
Graduation Rate
68% B-
Solid completion rate — most students graduate
Earnings (10yr)
$31,330 D
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$20,533 C-
20% more than the typical college
Enrollment
176
Earnings -23% vs avg
Graduation +20% vs avg
Net Price 20% vs avg

Bottom line: A D+ overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 9.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $9.4 over 20 years.

9.4× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $9.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $686,162.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduate earnings fall 23% below the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $9.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About PCI Academy-Ames

PCI Academy-Ames is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private for-profit College
Enrollment
176
Setting
Urban
Primary Strengths
Culinary & Personal Services, Health Professions

Why students choose PCI Academy-Ames

Strength in Culinary & Personal Services
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

D+
Top 66% overall
D
Earnings
$31,330 median
D
Value
1.5× net price
C-
Affordability
$20,533/yr net
B-
Graduation
68% graduate
D+
Diversity
0.43 index

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

How we grade →

Can I Get In?

How selective PCI Academy-Ames 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 PCI Academy-Ames? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

PCI Academy-Ames, located in Ames, Iowa, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 68%.

Retention Rate
100%
Student–Faculty Ratio
15:1
Diversity Index
0.43
First-Gen Students
33%

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 PCI Academy-Ames? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

The average net price at PCI Academy-Ames, the amount students actually pay each year after federal grants and scholarships, is about $20,533. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,393 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $5,828 in federal student loans.

Avg Net Price
$20,533
Median Debt
$5,828
Pell Grant Rate
34%
Federal Loan Rate
53%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$22,393
Family Income $110K+
$18,673

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 PCI Academy-Ames — 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 PCI Academy-Ames Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of PCI Academy-Ames report median earnings of $31,330, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$26,492
8 Years
$27,148
10 Years
$31,330
Debt-to-Earnings
0.19x
Earning > $25K
46%

Earnings Trajectory

$26,492 6yr $27,148 8yr $31,330 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

How PCI Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation68%Earnings 10yr$31KNet Price$21KRetention100%Median Debt$6KPell Grant Rate34%

College ROI Calculator

Is PCI Academy-Ames Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, PCI Academy-Ames delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $20,533/year ($82,132 total). Graduates earn $31,330 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $768,294 in total earnings — a net gain of $686,162 (9.4× your investment). The median debt is $5,828, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 68% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$82,132
Projected 20yr Earnings
$768,294
Net Return
$686,162
ROI Multiple
9.4×
Cost Per Year
$20,533
Median Debt
$5,828
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
68%

Does It Change Lives?

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

Top Programs

The fields PCI Academy-Ames 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.

Top Careers

Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for PCI Academy-Ames's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into PCI Academy-Ames? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

PCI Academy-Ames, located in Ames, Iowa, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 68%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend PCI Academy-Ames? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

The average net price at PCI Academy-Ames, the amount students actually pay each year after federal grants and scholarships, is about $20,533. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,393 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $5,828 in federal student loans.

Is PCI Academy-Ames Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of PCI Academy-Ames report median earnings of $31,330, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to PCI Academy-Ames.

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

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

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