Palau Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Palau Community College charges a net price of $2,787/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $5,574. Median earnings ten years after entry are $29,898, 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, Palau Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #1 of 1 PW colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $2,787/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $5,574 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $29,898 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$18,462/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$374,814 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Palau Community College's own numbers. Net price $2,787 × 2 years = $5,574 total. Median earnings $29,898 fall $18,462 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 $5,574 bill in about 0.6 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Palau Community College students graduate?
27% finish their degree — 73% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $5,574 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $20,644 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Palau Community College expensive compared with other PW colleges?
Its $2,787 net price runs $0 above the $2,787 median across the 1 PW colleges we profile, or $0 more across the full degree.