Red Rocks Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Red Rocks Community College charges a net price of $9,044/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $36,176. Median earnings ten years after entry are $46,288, 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, Red Rocks Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #16 of 50 Colorado colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $9,044/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $36,176 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $46,288 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$2,072/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $9,500 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$77,616 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Red Rocks Community College's own numbers. Net price $9,044 × 4 years = $36,176 total. Median earnings $46,288 fall $2,072 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 $36,176 bill in about 3.6 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Red Rocks Community College students graduate with?
A median $9,500 in federal loans among completers, or 21% of the $46,288 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Red Rocks Community College students graduate?
32% finish their degree — 68% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $36,176 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $113,050 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Red Rocks Community College expensive compared with other Colorado colleges?
Its $9,044 net price runs $7,424 below the $16,468 median across the 50 Colorado colleges we profile, and $29,694 less across the full degree.