Head-to-head comparison
Clover Park Technical College vs Centralia College: which has better ROI?
Option A Lakewood, WA
Clover Park Technical College
- Net price / year
- $9,864
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,787
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Centralia, WA
Centralia College
- Net price / year
- $9,862
- Earnings, 10 years
- $43,140
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Centralia College comes closer — median earnings $43,140 against a $19,724 total, vs $41,787 at Clover Park Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Clover Park Technical College | Centralia College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $9,864 | $9,862 |
| Total net cost | $39,456 | $19,724 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,787 | $43,140 |
| Median debt | $12,112 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$170,916 | -$124,124 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Clover Park Technical College or Centralia College?
Centralia College, at $9,862 a year after aid versus $9,864 — a gap of $2 a year, or $19,732 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 Clover Park Technical College or Centralia College graduates earn more?
Centralia College graduates report a median $43,140 ten years after entry, $1,353 more than the $41,787 at Clover Park Technical 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?
43% of students finish at Clover Park Technical College, against 42% at Centralia 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.