Centralia College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Centralia College charges a net price of $9,862/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $19,724. Median earnings ten years after entry are $43,140, 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, Centralia College does not clear its cost — it ranks #47 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) | $9,862/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $19,724 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $43,140 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$5,220/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$124,124 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Centralia College's own numbers. Net price $9,862 × 2 years = $19,724 total. Median earnings $43,140 fall $5,220 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 $19,724 bill in about 2.0 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Centralia College students graduate?
42% finish their degree — 58% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $19,724 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $46,962 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Centralia College expensive compared with other Washington colleges?
Its $9,862 net price runs $2,165 below the $12,027 median across the 64 Washington colleges we profile, and $4,329 less across the full degree.