Head-to-head comparison
Bishop State Community College vs Central Alabama Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Mobile, AL
Bishop State Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,397
- Earnings, 10 years
- $29,916
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Alexander City, AL
Central Alabama Community College
- Net price / year
- $15,996
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,506
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Central Alabama Community College comes closer — median earnings $33,506 against a $63,984 total, vs $29,916 at Bishop State Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bishop State Community College | Central Alabama Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,397 | $15,996 |
| Total net cost | $21,588 | $63,984 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $29,916 | $33,506 |
| Median debt | — | $9,766 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$390,468 | -$361,064 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bishop State Community College or Central Alabama Community College?
Bishop State Community College, at $5,397 a year after aid versus $15,996 — a gap of $10,599 a year, or $42,396 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 Bishop State Community College or Central Alabama Community College graduates earn more?
Central Alabama Community College graduates report a median $33,506 ten years after entry, $3,590 more than the $29,916 at Bishop State 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 graduates more of its students?
36% of students finish at Bishop State Community College, against 33% at Central Alabama 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.