Head-to-head comparison
Bowling Green State University-Firelands vs Auburn Career Center: which has better ROI?
Option A Huron, OH
Bowling Green State University-Firelands
- Net price / year
- $17,480
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,896
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Concord Twp, OH
Auburn Career Center
- Net price / year
- $12,051
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,032
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Bowling Green State University-Firelands comes closer — median earnings $47,896 against a $34,960 total, vs $37,032 at Auburn Career Center. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bowling Green State University-Firelands | Auburn Career Center |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $17,480 | $12,051 |
| Total net cost | $34,960 | $48,204 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,896 | $37,032 |
| Median debt | $25,000 | $6,365 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$44,240 | -$274,764 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bowling Green State University-Firelands or Auburn Career Center?
Auburn Career Center, at $12,051 a year after aid versus $17,480 — a gap of $5,429 a year, or $13,244 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 Bowling Green State University-Firelands or Auburn Career Center graduates earn more?
Bowling Green State University-Firelands graduates report a median $47,896 ten years after entry, $10,864 more than the $37,032 at Auburn Career Center. 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, Bowling Green State University-Firelands or Auburn Career Center?
Auburn Career Center: its completers carry a median $6,365 in federal loans versus $25,000 at Bowling Green State University-Firelands, a difference of $18,635. 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?
69% of students finish at Auburn Career Center, against 11% at Bowling Green State University-Firelands. 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.