Head-to-head comparison
Alvin Community College vs Coastal Bend College: which has better ROI?
Option A Alvin, TX
Alvin Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,525
- Earnings, 10 years
- $45,762
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Beeville, TX
Coastal Bend College
- Net price / year
- $4,237
- Earnings, 10 years
- $35,086
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Alvin Community College comes closer — median earnings $45,762 against a $17,050 total, vs $35,086 at Coastal Bend College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Alvin Community College | Coastal Bend College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,525 | $4,237 |
| Total net cost | $17,050 | $8,474 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $45,762 | $35,086 |
| Median debt | $4,519 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$69,010 | -$273,954 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Alvin Community College or Coastal Bend College?
Coastal Bend College, at $4,237 a year after aid versus $8,525 — a gap of $4,288 a year, or $8,576 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 Alvin Community College or Coastal Bend College graduates earn more?
Alvin Community College graduates report a median $45,762 ten years after entry, $10,676 more than the $35,086 at Coastal Bend 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 graduates more of its students?
25% of students finish at Coastal Bend College, against 24% at Alvin Community College. 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.