Head-to-head comparison
Butler Community College vs Garden City Community 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 Garden City, KS
Garden City Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,244
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,704
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Garden City Community College comes closer — median earnings $41,704 against a $32,976 total, vs $41,206 at Butler Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Butler Community College | Garden City Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $15,724 | $8,244 |
| Total net cost | $31,448 | $32,976 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,206 | $41,704 |
| Median debt | $10,500 | $6,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$174,528 | -$166,096 |
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 Garden City Community College?
Garden City Community College, at $8,244 a year after aid versus $15,724 — a gap of $7,480 a year, or $1,528 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 Garden City Community College graduates earn more?
Garden City Community College graduates report a median $41,704 ten years after entry, $498 more than the $41,206 at Butler 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, Butler Community College or Garden City Community College?
Garden City Community College: its completers carry a median $6,500 in federal loans versus $10,500 at Butler Community College, a difference of $4,000. 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?
50% of students finish at Garden City Community 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.