Head-to-head comparison
Big Bend Community College vs UEI College-Tacoma: 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 Tacoma, WA
UEI College-Tacoma
- Net price / year
- $36,850
- Earnings, 10 years
- $30,848
- 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 $30,848 at UEI College-Tacoma. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Big Bend Community College | UEI College-Tacoma |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $12,210 | $36,850 |
| Total net cost | $24,420 | $147,400 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $43,814 | $30,848 |
| Median debt | $9,166 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$115,340 | -$497,640 |
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 UEI College-Tacoma?
Big Bend Community College, at $12,210 a year after aid versus $36,850 — a gap of $24,640 a year, or $122,980 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 UEI College-Tacoma graduates earn more?
Big Bend Community College graduates report a median $43,814 ten years after entry, $12,966 more than the $30,848 at UEI College-Tacoma. 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 UEI College-Tacoma?
Big Bend Community College: its completers carry a median $9,166 in federal loans versus $9,500 at UEI College-Tacoma, a difference of $334. 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?
58% of students finish at UEI College-Tacoma, against 42% at Big Bend 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.