Head-to-head comparison
Bergen Community College vs Middlesex 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 Edison, NJ
Middlesex College
- Net price / year
- $2,288
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,861
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Middlesex College comes closer — median earnings $46,861 against a $4,576 total, vs $46,624 at Bergen Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bergen Community College | Middlesex College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $10,345 | $2,288 |
| Total net cost | $20,690 | $4,576 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,624 | $46,861 |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $9,750 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$55,410 | -$34,556 |
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 Middlesex College?
Middlesex College, at $2,288 a year after aid versus $10,345 — a gap of $8,057 a year, or $16,114 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 Middlesex College graduates earn more?
Middlesex College graduates report a median $46,861 ten years after entry, $237 more than the $46,624 at Bergen 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 Middlesex College?
Middlesex College: its completers carry a median $9,750 in federal loans versus $12,000 at Bergen Community College, a difference of $2,250. 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?
33% of students finish at Middlesex 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.