Baltimore City Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Baltimore City Community College charges a net price of $15,987/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $31,974. Median earnings ten years after entry are $36,025, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Baltimore City Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #44 of 52 Maryland colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $15,987/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $31,974 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $36,025 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$12,335/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$278,674 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Baltimore City Community College's own numbers. Net price $15,987 × 2 years = $31,974 total. Median earnings $36,025 fall $12,335 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $31,974 bill in about 3.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Baltimore City Community College students graduate?
17% finish their degree — 83% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $31,974 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $188,082 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Baltimore City Community College expensive compared with other Maryland colleges?
Its $15,987 net price runs $1,591 below the $17,578 median across the 52 Maryland colleges we profile, and $3,182 less across the full degree.