Kauai Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Kauai Community College charges a net price of $10,436/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $41,744. Median earnings ten years after entry are $36,868, 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, Kauai Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #11 of 13 Hawaii colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $10,436/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $41,744 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $36,868 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$11,492/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $10,500 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$271,584 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Kauai Community College's own numbers. Net price $10,436 × 4 years = $41,744 total. Median earnings $36,868 fall $11,492 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 $41,744 bill in about 4.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Kauai Community College students graduate with?
A median $10,500 in federal loans among completers, or 28% of the $36,868 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Kauai Community College students graduate?
48% finish their degree — 52% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $41,744 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $86,967 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Kauai Community College expensive compared with other Hawaii colleges?
Its $10,436 net price runs $109 above the $10,327 median across the 13 Hawaii colleges we profile, or $436 more across the full degree.