Head-to-head comparison
Chemeketa Community College vs Pacific Northwest College of Art: which has better ROI?
Option A Salem, OR
Chemeketa Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,200
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,968
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Portland, OR
Pacific Northwest College of Art
- Net price / year
- $35,785
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,883
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Chemeketa Community College comes closer — median earnings $40,968 against a $16,400 total, vs $34,883 at Pacific Northwest College of Art. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Chemeketa Community College | Pacific Northwest College of Art |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,200 | $35,785 |
| Total net cost | $16,400 | $143,140 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,968 | $34,883 |
| Median debt | $12,822 | $25,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$164,240 | -$412,680 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Chemeketa Community College or Pacific Northwest College of Art?
Chemeketa Community College, at $8,200 a year after aid versus $35,785 — a gap of $27,585 a year, or $126,740 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 Chemeketa Community College or Pacific Northwest College of Art graduates earn more?
Chemeketa Community College graduates report a median $40,968 ten years after entry, $6,085 more than the $34,883 at Pacific Northwest College of Art. 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, Chemeketa Community College or Pacific Northwest College of Art?
Chemeketa Community College: its completers carry a median $12,822 in federal loans versus $25,000 at Pacific Northwest College of Art, a difference of $12,178. 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?
29% of students finish at Pacific Northwest College of Art, against 21% at Chemeketa 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.