Head-to-head comparison
Arapahoe Community College vs Concorde Career College-Aurora: which has better ROI?
Option A Littleton, CO
Arapahoe Community College
- Net price / year
- $11,571
- Earnings, 10 years
- $48,341
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Aurora, CO
Concorde Career College-Aurora
- Net price / year
- $16,666
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,456
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Arapahoe Community College comes closer — median earnings $48,341 against a $46,284 total, vs $42,456 at Concorde Career College-Aurora. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Arapahoe Community College | Concorde Career College-Aurora |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $11,571 | $16,666 |
| Total net cost | $46,284 | $66,664 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $48,341 | $42,456 |
| Median debt | $11,884 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$46,664 | -$184,744 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Arapahoe Community College or Concorde Career College-Aurora?
Arapahoe Community College, at $11,571 a year after aid versus $16,666 — a gap of $5,095 a year, or $20,380 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 Arapahoe Community College or Concorde Career College-Aurora graduates earn more?
Arapahoe Community College graduates report a median $48,341 ten years after entry, $5,885 more than the $42,456 at Concorde Career College-Aurora. 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, Arapahoe Community College or Concorde Career College-Aurora?
Concorde Career College-Aurora: its completers carry a median $9,500 in federal loans versus $11,884 at Arapahoe Community College, a difference of $2,384. 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?
64% of students finish at Concorde Career College-Aurora, against 29% at Arapahoe 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.