Head-to-head comparison
Central Oregon Community College vs Southwestern Oregon Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Bend, OR
Central Oregon Community College
- Net price / year
- $12,266
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,940
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Coos Bay, OR
Southwestern Oregon Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,527
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,349
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Central Oregon Community College comes closer — median earnings $38,940 against a $24,532 total, vs $38,349 at Southwestern Oregon Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Central Oregon Community College | Southwestern Oregon Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $12,266 | $8,527 |
| Total net cost | $24,532 | $17,054 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,940 | $38,349 |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$212,932 | -$217,274 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Central Oregon Community College or Southwestern Oregon Community College?
Southwestern Oregon Community College, at $8,527 a year after aid versus $12,266 — a gap of $3,739 a year, or $7,478 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 Oregon Community College or Southwestern Oregon Community College graduates earn more?
Central Oregon Community College graduates report a median $38,940 ten years after entry, $591 more than the $38,349 at Southwestern Oregon 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, Central Oregon Community College or Southwestern Oregon Community College?
Completers at both borrow a median $12,000, so neither school has the debt advantage. That figure covers federal loans of students who finished — borrowers who leave early are not counted, and private loans sit outside it.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
40% of students finish at Southwestern Oregon Community College, against 25% at Central Oregon 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.