Head-to-head comparison
Columbia Basin College vs Seattle Central College: which has better ROI?
Option A Pasco, WA
Columbia Basin College
- Net price / year
- $8,317
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,680
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Seattle, WA
Seattle Central College
- Net price / year
- $8,819
- Earnings, 10 years
- $43,307
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Columbia Basin College comes closer — median earnings $46,680 against a $16,634 total, vs $43,307 at Seattle Central College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Columbia Basin College | Seattle Central College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,317 | $8,819 |
| Total net cost | $16,634 | $17,638 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,680 | $43,307 |
| Median debt | $14,829 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$50,234 | -$118,698 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Columbia Basin College or Seattle Central College?
Columbia Basin College, at $8,317 a year after aid versus $8,819 — a gap of $502 a year, or $1,004 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 Columbia Basin College or Seattle Central College graduates earn more?
Columbia Basin College graduates report a median $46,680 ten years after entry, $3,373 more than the $43,307 at Seattle Central 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, Columbia Basin College or Seattle Central College?
Seattle Central College: its completers carry a median $12,000 in federal loans versus $14,829 at Columbia Basin College, a difference of $2,829. 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?
33% of students finish at Columbia Basin College, against 32% at Seattle Central 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.