South Seattle College — ROI, Cost & Payback
South Seattle College charges a net price of $6,004/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $24,016. Median earnings ten years after entry are $44,486, 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, South Seattle College does not clear its cost — it ranks #39 of 64 Washington colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $6,004/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $24,016 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $44,486 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$3,874/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$101,496 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on South Seattle College's own numbers. Net price $6,004 × 4 years = $24,016 total. Median earnings $44,486 fall $3,874 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 $24,016 bill in about 2.4 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of South Seattle College students graduate?
31% finish their degree — 69% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $24,016 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $77,471 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is South Seattle College expensive compared with other Washington colleges?
Its $6,004 net price runs $6,023 below the $12,027 median across the 64 Washington colleges we profile, and $24,090 less across the full degree.