Chemeketa Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Chemeketa Community College charges a net price of $8,200/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $16,400. Median earnings ten years after entry are $40,968, 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, Chemeketa Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #25 of 38 Oregon colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $8,200/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $16,400 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $40,968 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,392/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $12,822 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$164,240 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Chemeketa Community College's own numbers. Net price $8,200 × 2 years = $16,400 total. Median earnings $40,968 fall $7,392 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 $16,400 bill in about 1.6 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Chemeketa Community College students graduate with?
A median $12,822 in federal loans among completers, or 31% of the $40,968 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Chemeketa Community College students graduate?
21% finish their degree — 79% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $16,400 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $78,095 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Chemeketa Community College expensive compared with other Oregon colleges?
Its $8,200 net price runs $8,740 below the $16,940 median across the 38 Oregon colleges we profile, and $17,480 less across the full degree.