Garden City Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Garden City Community College charges a net price of $8,244/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $32,976. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,704, 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, Garden City Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #37 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) | $8,244/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $32,976 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,704 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$6,656/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $6,500 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$166,096 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Garden City Community College's own numbers. Net price $8,244 × 4 years = $32,976 total. Median earnings $41,704 fall $6,656 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 $32,976 bill in about 3.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Garden City Community College students graduate with?
A median $6,500 in federal loans among completers, or 16% of the $41,704 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Garden City Community College students graduate?
50% finish their degree — 50% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $32,976 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $65,952 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Garden City Community College expensive compared with other Kansas colleges?
Its $8,244 net price runs $7,036 below the $15,280 median across the 57 Kansas colleges we profile, and $28,144 less across the full degree.