Head-to-head comparison
Carroll Community College vs Chesapeake College: which has better ROI?
Option A Westminster, MD
Carroll Community College
- Net price / year
- $2,725
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,349
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Wye Mills, MD
Chesapeake College
- Net price / year
- $5,106
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,301
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Carroll Community College comes closer — median earnings $44,349 against a $5,450 total, vs $36,301 at Chesapeake College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Carroll Community College | Chesapeake College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $2,725 | $5,106 |
| Total net cost | $5,450 | $10,212 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $44,349 | $36,301 |
| Median debt | $11,750 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$85,670 | -$251,392 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Carroll Community College or Chesapeake College?
Carroll Community College, at $2,725 a year after aid versus $5,106 — a gap of $2,381 a year, or $4,762 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 Carroll Community College or Chesapeake College graduates earn more?
Carroll Community College graduates report a median $44,349 ten years after entry, $8,048 more than the $36,301 at Chesapeake 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?
39% of students finish at Carroll Community College, against 35% at Chesapeake 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.