Head-to-head comparison
Century College vs Anoka-Ramsey Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A White Bear Lake, MN
Century College
- Net price / year
- $10,906
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,424
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Coon Rapids, MN
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
- Net price / year
- $16,434
- Earnings, 10 years
- $48,342
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Anoka-Ramsey Community College comes closer — median earnings $48,342 against a $32,868 total, vs $46,424 at Century College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Century College | Anoka-Ramsey Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $10,906 | $16,434 |
| Total net cost | $43,624 | $32,868 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,424 | $48,342 |
| Median debt | $14,250 | $13,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$82,344 | -$33,228 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Century College or Anoka-Ramsey Community College?
Century College, at $10,906 a year after aid versus $16,434 — a gap of $5,528 a year, or $10,756 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 Century College or Anoka-Ramsey Community College graduates earn more?
Anoka-Ramsey Community College graduates report a median $48,342 ten years after entry, $1,918 more than the $46,424 at Century 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, Century College or Anoka-Ramsey Community College?
Anoka-Ramsey Community College: its completers carry a median $13,500 in federal loans versus $14,250 at Century College, a difference of $750. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
31% of students finish at Century College, against 30% at Anoka-Ramsey 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.