Head-to-head comparison
Coahoma Community College vs Rust College: which has better ROI?
Option A Clarksdale, MS
Coahoma Community College
- Net price / year
- -$274
- Earnings, 10 years
- $24,289
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Holly Springs, MS
Rust College
- Net price / year
- $12,587
- Earnings, 10 years
- $32,275
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Rust College comes closer — median earnings $32,275 against a $50,348 total, vs $24,289 at Coahoma Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Coahoma Community College | Rust College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | -$274 | $12,587 |
| Total net cost | -$1,096 | $50,348 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $24,289 | $32,275 |
| Median debt | — | $26,159 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$480,324 | -$372,048 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Coahoma Community College or Rust College?
Coahoma Community College, at -$274 a year after aid versus $12,587 — a gap of $12,861 a year, or $51,444 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 Coahoma Community College or Rust College graduates earn more?
Rust College graduates report a median $32,275 ten years after entry, $7,986 more than the $24,289 at Coahoma 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?
41% of students finish at Coahoma Community College, against 12% at Rust 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.