Head-to-head comparison
Aims Community College vs Community College of Aurora: which has better ROI?
Option A Greeley, CO
Aims Community College
- Net price / year
- $11,463
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,887
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Aurora, CO
Community College of Aurora
- Net price / year
- $8,656
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,592
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Community College of Aurora comes closer — median earnings $44,592 against a $17,312 total, vs $41,887 at Aims Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Aims Community College | Community College of Aurora |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $11,463 | $8,656 |
| Total net cost | $45,852 | $17,312 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,887 | $44,592 |
| Median debt | $6,844 | $10,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$175,312 | -$92,672 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Aims Community College or Community College of Aurora?
Community College of Aurora, at $8,656 a year after aid versus $11,463 — a gap of $2,807 a year, or $28,540 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Aims Community College or Community College of Aurora graduates earn more?
Community College of Aurora graduates report a median $44,592 ten years after entry, $2,705 more than the $41,887 at Aims Community College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Aims Community College or Community College of Aurora?
Aims Community College: its completers carry a median $6,844 in federal loans versus $10,500 at Community College of Aurora, a difference of $3,656. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
40% of students finish at Aims Community College, against 33% at Community College of Aurora. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.