Degree Dividend
Sourced from federal dataEvery figure datedNo rankings for sale

Oregon State University vs Portland Community College: which has better ROI?

Public, Corvallis OR · vs · Public, Portland OR

The verdict

Oregon State University has the better ROI: it clears its 4-year net cost of $78,416 in 5 years versus not at all at Portland Community College, on median earnings of $64,010 vs $44,592 ten years out. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)

Head to head
MeasureOregon State UniversityPortland Community College
Net price / yr$19,604$10,405
Total net cost$78,416$20,810
Median earnings, 10 yrs$64,010$44,592
Median debt$21,221$12,999
Payback5 yrs
20-year net return$234,584$-96,170

College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.