Head-to-head comparison
Big Bend Community College vs Grays Harbor College: which has better ROI?
Option A Moses Lake, WA
Big Bend Community College
- Net price / year
- $12,210
- Earnings, 10 years
- $43,814
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Aberdeen, WA
Grays Harbor College
- Net price / year
- $4,783
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,865
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Big Bend Community College comes closer — median earnings $43,814 against a $24,420 total, vs $40,865 at Grays Harbor College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Big Bend Community College | Grays Harbor College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $12,210 | $4,783 |
| Total net cost | $24,420 | $9,566 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $43,814 | $40,865 |
| Median debt | $9,166 | $11,075 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$115,340 | -$159,466 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Big Bend Community College or Grays Harbor College?
Grays Harbor College, at $4,783 a year after aid versus $12,210 — a gap of $7,427 a year, or $14,854 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 Big Bend Community College or Grays Harbor College graduates earn more?
Big Bend Community College graduates report a median $43,814 ten years after entry, $2,949 more than the $40,865 at Grays Harbor 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, Big Bend Community College or Grays Harbor College?
Big Bend Community College: its completers carry a median $9,166 in federal loans versus $11,075 at Grays Harbor College, a difference of $1,909. 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?
42% of students finish at Big Bend Community College, against 39% at Grays Harbor 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.