Tompkins Cortland Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Tompkins Cortland Community College charges a net price of $12,723/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $25,446. Median earnings ten years after entry are $40,707, 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, Tompkins Cortland Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #144 of 203 New York colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $12,723/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $25,446 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $40,707 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,653/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $15,750 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$178,506 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Tompkins Cortland Community College's own numbers. Net price $12,723 × 2 years = $25,446 total. Median earnings $40,707 fall $7,653 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 $25,446 bill in about 2.5 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Tompkins Cortland Community College students graduate with?
A median $15,750 in federal loans among completers, or 39% of the $40,707 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Tompkins Cortland Community College students graduate?
26% finish their degree — 74% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $25,446 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $97,869 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Tompkins Cortland Community College expensive compared with other New York colleges?
Its $12,723 net price runs $6,190 below the $18,913 median across the 203 New York colleges we profile, and $12,380 less across the full degree.