Head-to-head comparison
Bard College vs Tompkins Cortland Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
Bard College
- Net price / year
- $34,649
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,543
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Dryden, NY
Tompkins Cortland Community College
- Net price / year
- $12,723
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,707
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Bard College comes closer — median earnings $46,543 against a $138,596 total, vs $40,707 at Tompkins Cortland Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bard College | Tompkins Cortland Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $34,649 | $12,723 |
| Total net cost | $138,596 | $25,446 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,543 | $40,707 |
| Median debt | $24,254 | $15,750 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$174,936 | -$178,506 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bard College or Tompkins Cortland Community College?
Tompkins Cortland Community College, at $12,723 a year after aid versus $34,649 — a gap of $21,926 a year, or $113,150 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 Bard College or Tompkins Cortland Community College graduates earn more?
Bard College graduates report a median $46,543 ten years after entry, $5,836 more than the $40,707 at Tompkins Cortland 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, Bard College or Tompkins Cortland Community College?
Tompkins Cortland Community College: its completers carry a median $15,750 in federal loans versus $24,254 at Bard College, a difference of $8,504. 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?
68% of students finish at Bard College, against 26% at Tompkins Cortland 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.