Coastal Bend College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Coastal Bend College charges a net price of $4,237/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $8,474. Median earnings ten years after entry are $35,086, 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, Coastal Bend College does not clear its cost — it ranks #140 of 213 Texas colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $4,237/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $8,474 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $35,086 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$13,274/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$273,954 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Coastal Bend College's own numbers. Net price $4,237 × 2 years = $8,474 total. Median earnings $35,086 fall $13,274 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 $8,474 bill in about 0.8 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Coastal Bend College students graduate?
25% finish their degree — 75% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $8,474 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $33,896 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Coastal Bend College expensive compared with other Texas colleges?
Its $4,237 net price runs $15,122 below the $19,359 median across the 213 Texas colleges we profile, and $30,244 less across the full degree.