Bishop State Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Bishop State Community College charges a net price of $5,397/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $21,588. Median earnings ten years after entry are $29,916, 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, Bishop State Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #48 of 54 Alabama colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $5,397/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $21,588 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $29,916 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$18,444/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$390,468 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Bishop State Community College's own numbers. Net price $5,397 × 4 years = $21,588 total. Median earnings $29,916 fall $18,444 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 $21,588 bill in about 2.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Bishop State Community College students graduate?
36% finish their degree — 64% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $21,588 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $59,967 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Bishop State Community College expensive compared with other Alabama colleges?
Its $5,397 net price runs $9,172 below the $14,569 median across the 54 Alabama colleges we profile, and $36,686 less across the full degree.