Head-to-head comparison
Bristol Community College vs Northern Essex Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Fall River, MA
Bristol Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,547
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,663
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Haverhill, MA
Northern Essex Community College
- Net price / year
- $6,046
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,862
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Northern Essex Community College comes closer — median earnings $42,862 against a $12,092 total, vs $38,663 at Bristol Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bristol Community College | Northern Essex Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,547 | $6,046 |
| Total net cost | $11,094 | $12,092 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,663 | $42,862 |
| Median debt | $8,243 | $9,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$205,034 | -$122,052 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bristol Community College or Northern Essex Community College?
Bristol Community College, at $5,547 a year after aid versus $6,046 — a gap of $499 a year, or $998 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 Bristol Community College or Northern Essex Community College graduates earn more?
Northern Essex Community College graduates report a median $42,862 ten years after entry, $4,199 more than the $38,663 at Bristol 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, Bristol Community College or Northern Essex Community College?
Bristol Community College: its completers carry a median $8,243 in federal loans versus $9,000 at Northern Essex Community College, a difference of $757. 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?
22% of students finish at Bristol Community College, against 21% at Northern Essex 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.