Head-to-head comparison
Chemeketa Community College vs Southwestern Oregon Community College: 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 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 Chemeketa Community College comes closer — median earnings $40,968 against a $16,400 total, vs $38,349 at Southwestern Oregon Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Chemeketa Community College | Southwestern Oregon Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,200 | $8,527 |
| Total net cost | $16,400 | $17,054 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,968 | $38,349 |
| Median debt | $12,822 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$164,240 | -$217,274 |
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 Southwestern Oregon Community College?
Chemeketa Community College, at $8,200 a year after aid versus $8,527 — a gap of $327 a year, or $654 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 Southwestern Oregon Community College graduates earn more?
Chemeketa Community College graduates report a median $40,968 ten years after entry, $2,619 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, Chemeketa Community College or Southwestern Oregon Community College?
Southwestern Oregon Community College: its completers carry a median $12,000 in federal loans versus $12,822 at Chemeketa Community College, a difference of $822. 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?
40% of students finish at Southwestern Oregon Community College, 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.