Butler Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Butler Community College charges a net price of $15,724/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $31,448. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,206, 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, Butler Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #38 of 57 Kansas colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $15,724/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $31,448 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,206 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,154/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $10,500 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$174,528 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Butler Community College's own numbers. Net price $15,724 × 2 years = $31,448 total. Median earnings $41,206 fall $7,154 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 $31,448 bill in about 3.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Butler Community College students graduate with?
A median $10,500 in federal loans among completers, or 25% of the $41,206 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Butler Community College students graduate?
32% finish their degree — 68% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $31,448 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $98,275 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Butler Community College expensive compared with other Kansas colleges?
Its $15,724 net price runs $444 above the $15,280 median across the 57 Kansas colleges we profile, or $888 more across the full degree.