Head-to-head comparison
Cleveland State Community College vs Genesis Career College-Cookeville: which has better ROI?
Option A Cleveland, TN
Cleveland State Community College
- Net price / year
- $6,384
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,671
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Cookeville, TN
Genesis Career College-Cookeville
- Net price / year
- $12,321
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,652
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Cleveland State Community College comes closer — median earnings $36,671 against a $12,768 total, vs $22,652 at Genesis Career College-Cookeville. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Cleveland State Community College | Genesis Career College-Cookeville |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,384 | $12,321 |
| Total net cost | $12,768 | $49,284 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $36,671 | $22,652 |
| Median debt | $7,954 | $6,343 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$246,548 | -$563,444 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Cleveland State Community College or Genesis Career College-Cookeville?
Cleveland State Community College, at $6,384 a year after aid versus $12,321 — a gap of $5,937 a year, or $36,516 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 Cleveland State Community College or Genesis Career College-Cookeville graduates earn more?
Cleveland State Community College graduates report a median $36,671 ten years after entry, $14,019 more than the $22,652 at Genesis Career College-Cookeville. 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, Cleveland State Community College or Genesis Career College-Cookeville?
Genesis Career College-Cookeville: its completers carry a median $6,343 in federal loans versus $7,954 at Cleveland State Community College, a difference of $1,611. 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?
54% of students finish at Genesis Career College-Cookeville, against 37% at Cleveland State 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.