Head-to-head comparison
Bergen Community College vs Brookdale Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Paramus, NJ
Bergen Community College
- Net price / year
- $10,345
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,624
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Lincroft, NJ
Brookdale Community College
- Net price / year
- $11,231
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,379
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Bergen Community College comes closer — median earnings $46,624 against a $20,690 total, vs $44,379 at Brookdale Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bergen Community College | Brookdale Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $10,345 | $11,231 |
| Total net cost | $20,690 | $22,462 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,624 | $44,379 |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$55,410 | -$102,082 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bergen Community College or Brookdale Community College?
Bergen Community College, at $10,345 a year after aid versus $11,231 — a gap of $886 a year, or $1,772 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 Bergen Community College or Brookdale Community College graduates earn more?
Bergen Community College graduates report a median $46,624 ten years after entry, $2,245 more than the $44,379 at Brookdale 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, Bergen Community College or Brookdale Community College?
Completers at both borrow a median $12,000, so neither school has the debt advantage. That figure covers federal loans of students who finished — borrowers who leave early are not counted, and private loans sit outside it.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
30% of students finish at Brookdale Community College, against 21% at Bergen 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.