Highland Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Highland Community College charges a net price of $10,454/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $41,816. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,291, 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, Highland Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #39 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) | $10,454/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $41,816 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,291 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,069/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $8,277 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$183,196 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Highland Community College's own numbers. Net price $10,454 × 4 years = $41,816 total. Median earnings $41,291 fall $7,069 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 $41,816 bill in about 4.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Highland Community College students graduate with?
A median $8,277 in federal loans among completers, or 20% of the $41,291 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Highland Community College students graduate?
39% finish their degree — 61% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $41,816 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $107,221 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Highland Community College expensive compared with other Kansas colleges?
Its $10,454 net price runs $4,826 below the $15,280 median across the 57 Kansas colleges we profile, and $19,304 less across the full degree.