Cankdeska Cikana Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Cankdeska Cikana Community College charges a net price of $6,507/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $13,014. Median earnings ten years after entry are $17,008, 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, Cankdeska Cikana Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #17 of 17 North Dakota colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $6,507/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $13,014 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $17,008 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$31,352/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$640,054 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Cankdeska Cikana Community College's own numbers. Net price $6,507 × 2 years = $13,014 total. Median earnings $17,008 fall $31,352 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 $13,014 bill in about 1.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Cankdeska Cikana Community College students graduate?
28% finish their degree — 72% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $13,014 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $46,479 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Cankdeska Cikana Community College expensive compared with other North Dakota colleges?
Its $6,507 net price runs $4,949 below the $11,456 median across the 17 North Dakota colleges we profile, and $9,898 less across the full degree.