Head-to-head comparison
Cleveland State Community College vs TCAT Athens: 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 Athens, TN
TCAT Athens
- Net price / year
- $12,758
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,540
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but TCAT Athens comes closer — median earnings $40,540 against a $51,032 total, vs $36,671 at Cleveland State Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Cleveland State Community College | TCAT Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,384 | $12,758 |
| Total net cost | $12,768 | $51,032 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $36,671 | $40,540 |
| Median debt | $7,954 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$246,548 | -$207,432 |
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 TCAT Athens?
Cleveland State Community College, at $6,384 a year after aid versus $12,758 — a gap of $6,374 a year, or $38,264 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 TCAT Athens graduates earn more?
TCAT Athens graduates report a median $40,540 ten years after entry, $3,869 more than the $36,671 at Cleveland State 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 graduates more of its students?
95% of students finish at TCAT Athens, 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.