Head-to-head comparison
Butler Community College vs Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A El Dorado, KS
Butler Community College
- Net price / year
- $15,724
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,206
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Goodland, KS
Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College
- Net price / year
- $13,074
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,616
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Butler Community College comes closer — median earnings $41,206 against a $31,448 total, vs $38,616 at Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Butler Community College | Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $15,724 | $13,074 |
| Total net cost | $31,448 | $52,296 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,206 | $38,616 |
| Median debt | $10,500 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$174,528 | -$247,176 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Butler Community College or Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College?
Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College, at $13,074 a year after aid versus $15,724 — a gap of $2,650 a year, or $20,848 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 Butler Community College or Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College graduates earn more?
Butler Community College graduates report a median $41,206 ten years after entry, $2,590 more than the $38,616 at Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical 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, Butler Community College or Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College?
Butler Community College: its completers carry a median $10,500 in federal loans versus $12,000 at Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College, a difference of $1,500. 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?
73% of students finish at Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College, against 32% at Butler 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.