Rio Salado College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Rio Salado College charges a net price of $8,341/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $33,364. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,015, 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, Rio Salado College does not clear its cost — it ranks #21 of 63 Arizona colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $8,341/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $33,364 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,015 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,345/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $9,500 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$180,264 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Rio Salado College's own numbers. Net price $8,341 × 4 years = $33,364 total. Median earnings $41,015 fall $7,345 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 $33,364 bill in about 3.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Rio Salado College students graduate with?
A median $9,500 in federal loans among completers, or 23% of the $41,015 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Rio Salado College students graduate?
9% finish their degree — 91% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $33,364 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $370,711 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Rio Salado College expensive compared with other Arizona colleges?
Its $8,341 net price runs $9,098 below the $17,439 median across the 63 Arizona colleges we profile, and $36,392 less across the full degree.