Head-to-head comparison
Central Community College vs Nebraska Indian Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Grand Island, NE
Central Community College
- Net price / year
- $7,024
- Earnings, 10 years
- $39,429
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Macy, NE
Nebraska Indian Community College
- Net price / year
- $23,334
- Earnings, 10 years
- $31,458
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Central Community College comes closer — median earnings $39,429 against a $28,096 total, vs $31,458 at Nebraska Indian Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Central Community College | Nebraska Indian Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,024 | $23,334 |
| Total net cost | $28,096 | $46,668 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $39,429 | $31,458 |
| Median debt | $7,992 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$206,716 | -$384,708 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Central Community College or Nebraska Indian Community College?
Central Community College, at $7,024 a year after aid versus $23,334 — a gap of $16,310 a year, or $18,572 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 Community College or Nebraska Indian Community College graduates earn more?
Central Community College graduates report a median $39,429 ten years after entry, $7,971 more than the $31,458 at Nebraska Indian 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?
48% of students finish at Central Community College, against 22% at Nebraska Indian 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.