Patrick & Henry Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Patrick & Henry Community College charges a net price of $4,102/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $8,204. Median earnings ten years after entry are $33,323, 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, Patrick & Henry Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #67 of 81 Virginia colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $4,102/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $8,204 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $33,323 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$15,037/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$308,944 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Patrick & Henry Community College's own numbers. Net price $4,102 × 2 years = $8,204 total. Median earnings $33,323 fall $15,037 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 $8,204 bill in about 0.8 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Patrick & Henry Community College students graduate?
42% finish their degree — 58% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $8,204 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $19,533 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Patrick & Henry Community College expensive compared with other Virginia colleges?
Its $4,102 net price runs $14,964 below the $19,066 median across the 81 Virginia colleges we profile, and $29,928 less across the full degree.