Big Bend Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Big Bend Community College charges a net price of $12,210/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $24,420. Median earnings ten years after entry are $43,814, 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, Big Bend Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #42 of 64 Washington colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $12,210/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $24,420 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $43,814 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$4,546/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $9,166 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$115,340 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Big Bend Community College's own numbers. Net price $12,210 × 2 years = $24,420 total. Median earnings $43,814 fall $4,546 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 $24,420 bill in about 2.4 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Big Bend Community College students graduate with?
A median $9,166 in federal loans among completers, or 21% of the $43,814 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Big Bend Community College students graduate?
42% finish their degree — 58% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $24,420 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $58,143 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Big Bend Community College expensive compared with other Washington colleges?
Its $12,210 net price runs $184 above the $12,027 median across the 64 Washington colleges we profile, or $367 more across the full degree.