Polaris Career Center
Middleburg Heights, OH 44130-3375
About Polaris Career Center
Polaris Career Center is a public certificate and vocational school in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, enrolling about 300 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. The published completion rate is about 77.42% at 150% of normal time. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $38,718 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 77.42%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $38,718.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Polaris Career Center is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 875% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris Career Center | — | $9,931 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| Ohio (state median) | $15,202 | $12,090 | 154 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Polaris Career Center really?
Key findings
- Average net price runs below the Ohio median net price.
Evidence: average net price at Polaris Career Center versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Polaris Career Center is $9,931.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $9,931 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $2,158 below the Ohio median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $8,769 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Polaris Career Center: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Polaris Career Center—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Avg. net price
$9,931
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $8,080 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $14,171 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $15,171 |
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Polaris Career Center is known for
Top program completions
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician53
- Real Estate Development22
- Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician19
- Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician14
- Welding Technology/Welder14
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Polaris Career Center a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Polaris Career Center is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Polaris Career Center.
Campus
Location
Middleburg Heights, OH
City / state
- ZIP
- 44130-3375
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is about 0.5× the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Great Lakes
Size
Enrollment
300
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 358
- Full-time share
- 34%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$6,365
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 44.37%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Polaris Career Center.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Polaris Career Center was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Polaris Career Center in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | — | $6,299 |
| 2014 | — | — | $8,581 |
| 2015 | — | — | $10,405 |
| 2016 | — | — | $12,301 |
| 2017 | — | — | $7,371 |
| 2018 | — | — | $7,758 |
| 2019 | — | — | $6,565 |
| 2020 | — | — | $13,495 |
| 2021 | — | — | $12,070 |
| 2022 | — | — | $10,979 |
| 2023 | — | — | $13,043 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Polaris Career Center reported total enrollment of about 300 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 47% male and 53% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (54.0%), Black or African American (17.3%), and Hispanic or Latino (11.0%). About 44.37% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 58.3% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
34.3% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Polaris Career Center in 2024 is 300 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 358 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
85.2%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
77.42% 100% Completion Time
77.42% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 77.42% of students graduating from Polaris Career Center completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician: 100% male / 0% female
- Real Estate Development: 0% male / 100% female
- Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician: 11% male / 89% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Polaris Career Center graduates earn a median of $38,718 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Polaris Career Center.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $38,718. Median federal loan debt: $6,365. Average net price used in cost models: $9,931.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Polaris Career Center graduates report median earnings of $38,718 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Polaris Career Center.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (14 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Polaris Career Center.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Polaris Career Center graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Polaris Career Center—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $7,690
- Ohio median near the median ($7,640)
- Great Lakes median near the median ($7,690)
- U.S. median 1.1× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Polaris Career Center at a glance
Polaris Career Center
Polaris Career Center is a public institution in Middleburg Heights, OH.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/TechnicianReal Estate DevelopmentElectrocardiograph Technology/Technician
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian54.0%Black or African American17.3%Hispanic or Latino11.0%
Schools near Polaris Career Center
Other campuses in Middleburg Heights, OH when available, plus nearby institutions in Ohio.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Ohio, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Polaris Career Center located?
Polaris Career Center is located in Middleburg Heights, OH.
How much does Polaris Career Center cost?
Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is $9,931 in the latest College Scorecard data.
What explains Polaris Career Center's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($9,931), completion (77.4% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($38,718). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Polaris Career Center?
Polaris Career Center reports undergraduate enrollment of about 358 students, White (54.0%), Black or African American (17.3%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Polaris Career Center?
About 58.3% of students at Polaris Career Center are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Polaris Career Center earn?
Median earnings are $38,034 six years after entry and $38,718 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Polaris Career Center?
The 150%-time completion rate is 77.4% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Polaris Career Center students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $6,365.
Is Polaris Career Center public or private?
Polaris Career Center is a public institution located in Middleburg Heights, OH.
Is Polaris Career Center an HBCU?
No. Polaris Career Center is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Polaris Career Center a tribal college?
No. Polaris Career Center is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Polaris Career Center a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Polaris Career Center does not meet that proxy (reported share 11.0%).
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.