Southwest Mississippi Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Southwest Mississippi Community College charges a net price of $2,525/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $5,050. Median earnings ten years after entry are $33,227, 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, Southwest Mississippi Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #16 of 32 Mississippi colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $2,525/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $5,050 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $33,227 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$15,133/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$307,710 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Southwest Mississippi Community College's own numbers. Net price $2,525 × 2 years = $5,050 total. Median earnings $33,227 fall $15,133 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 $5,050 bill in about 0.5 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Southwest Mississippi Community College students graduate?
56% finish their degree — 44% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $5,050 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $9,018 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Southwest Mississippi Community College expensive compared with other Mississippi colleges?
Its $2,525 net price runs $6,490 below the $9,015 median across the 32 Mississippi colleges we profile, and $12,979 less across the full degree.