Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas — ROI, Cost & Payback
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas charges a net price of $4,848/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $19,392. Median earnings ten years after entry are $29,552, 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, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas does not clear its cost — it ranks #42 of 47 Arkansas colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $4,848/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $19,392 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $29,552 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$18,808/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$395,552 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas's own numbers. Net price $4,848 × 4 years = $19,392 total. Median earnings $29,552 fall $18,808 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 $19,392 bill in about 1.9 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas students graduate?
55% finish their degree — 45% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $19,392 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $35,258 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas expensive compared with other Arkansas colleges?
Its $4,848 net price runs $7,518 below the $12,366 median across the 47 Arkansas colleges we profile, and $30,072 less across the full degree.