Head-to-head comparison
Central Alabama Community College vs Lurleen B Wallace Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Alexander City, AL
Central Alabama Community College
- Net price / year
- $15,996
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,506
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Andalusia, AL
Lurleen B Wallace Community College
- Net price / year
- $2,792
- Earnings, 10 years
- $32,307
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Lurleen B Wallace Community College comes closer — median earnings $32,307 against a $5,584 total, vs $33,506 at Central Alabama Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Central Alabama Community College | Lurleen B Wallace Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $15,996 | $2,792 |
| Total net cost | $63,984 | $5,584 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $33,506 | $32,307 |
| Median debt | $9,766 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$361,064 | -$326,644 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Central Alabama Community College or Lurleen B Wallace Community College?
Lurleen B Wallace Community College, at $2,792 a year after aid versus $15,996 — a gap of $13,204 a year, or $58,400 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 Central Alabama Community College or Lurleen B Wallace Community College graduates earn more?
Central Alabama Community College graduates report a median $33,506 ten years after entry, $1,199 more than the $32,307 at Lurleen B Wallace 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 graduates more of its students?
41% of students finish at Lurleen B Wallace Community College, against 33% at Central Alabama 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.