Onondaga Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Onondaga Community College charges a net price of $8,562/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $17,124. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,190, 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, Onondaga Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #135 of 203 New York colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $8,562/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $17,124 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,190 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,170/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $10,000 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$160,524 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Onondaga Community College's own numbers. Net price $8,562 × 2 years = $17,124 total. Median earnings $41,190 fall $7,170 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 $17,124 bill in about 1.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Onondaga Community College students graduate with?
A median $10,000 in federal loans among completers, or 24% of the $41,190 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Onondaga Community College students graduate?
27% finish their degree — 73% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $17,124 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $63,422 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Onondaga Community College expensive compared with other New York colleges?
Its $8,562 net price runs $10,351 below the $18,913 median across the 203 New York colleges we profile, and $20,702 less across the full degree.