Head-to-head comparison
Centralia College vs Pima Medical Institute-Seattle: which has better ROI?
Option A Centralia, WA
Centralia College
- Net price / year
- $9,862
- Earnings, 10 years
- $43,140
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Seattle, WA
Pima Medical Institute-Seattle
- Net price / year
- $31,016
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,673
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Centralia College comes closer — median earnings $43,140 against a $19,724 total, vs $38,673 at Pima Medical Institute-Seattle. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Centralia College | Pima Medical Institute-Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $9,862 | $31,016 |
| Total net cost | $19,724 | $124,064 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $43,140 | $38,673 |
| Median debt | — | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$124,124 | -$317,804 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Centralia College or Pima Medical Institute-Seattle?
Centralia College, at $9,862 a year after aid versus $31,016 — a gap of $21,154 a year, or $104,340 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 Centralia College or Pima Medical Institute-Seattle graduates earn more?
Centralia College graduates report a median $43,140 ten years after entry, $4,467 more than the $38,673 at Pima Medical Institute-Seattle. 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?
68% of students finish at Pima Medical Institute-Seattle, against 42% at Centralia 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.