Glendale Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Glendale Community College charges a net price of $11,650/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $46,600. Median earnings ten years after entry are $43,108, 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, Glendale Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #19 of 63 Arizona colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $11,650/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $46,600 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $43,108 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$5,252/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $6,960 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$151,640 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Glendale Community College's own numbers. Net price $11,650 × 4 years = $46,600 total. Median earnings $43,108 fall $5,252 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 $46,600 bill in about 4.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Glendale Community College students graduate with?
A median $6,960 in federal loans among completers, or 16% of the $43,108 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Glendale Community College students graduate?
16% finish their degree — 84% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $46,600 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $291,250 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Glendale Community College expensive compared with other Arizona colleges?
Its $11,650 net price runs $5,789 below the $17,439 median across the 63 Arizona colleges we profile, and $23,156 less across the full degree.