Truckee Meadows Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Truckee Meadows Community College charges a net price of $8,312/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $33,248. Median earnings ten years after entry are $44,573, 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, Truckee Meadows Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #7 of 22 Nevada colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $8,312/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $33,248 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $44,573 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$3,787/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $11,000 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$108,988 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Truckee Meadows Community College's own numbers. Net price $8,312 × 4 years = $33,248 total. Median earnings $44,573 fall $3,787 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 $33,248 bill in about 3.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Truckee Meadows Community College students graduate with?
A median $11,000 in federal loans among completers, or 25% of the $44,573 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Truckee Meadows Community College students graduate?
32% finish their degree — 68% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $33,248 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $103,900 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Truckee Meadows Community College expensive compared with other Nevada colleges?
Its $8,312 net price runs $13,579 below the $21,891 median across the 22 Nevada colleges we profile, and $54,314 less across the full degree.