H Councill Trenholm State Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
H Councill Trenholm State Community College charges a net price of $8,325/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $33,300. Median earnings ten years after entry are $32,183, 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, H Councill Trenholm State Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #41 of 54 Alabama colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $8,325/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $33,300 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $32,183 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$16,177/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$356,840 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on H Councill Trenholm State Community College's own numbers. Net price $8,325 × 4 years = $33,300 total. Median earnings $32,183 fall $16,177 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 $33,300 bill in about 3.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of H Councill Trenholm State Community College students graduate?
16% finish their degree — 84% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $33,300 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $208,125 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is H Councill Trenholm State Community College expensive compared with other Alabama colleges?
Its $8,325 net price runs $6,244 below the $14,569 median across the 54 Alabama colleges we profile, and $24,974 less across the full degree.