Head-to-head comparison
Cowley County Community College vs Bellus Academy: which has better ROI?
Option A Arkansas City, KS
Cowley County Community College
- Net price / year
- $7,175
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,723
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Manhattan, KS
Bellus Academy
- Net price / year
- $26,631
- Earnings, 10 years
- $25,223
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Cowley County Community College comes closer — median earnings $37,723 against a $28,700 total, vs $25,223 at Bellus Academy. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Cowley County Community College | Bellus Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,175 | $26,631 |
| Total net cost | $28,700 | $106,524 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,723 | $25,223 |
| Median debt | $8,000 | $7,917 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$241,440 | -$569,264 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Cowley County Community College or Bellus Academy?
Cowley County Community College, at $7,175 a year after aid versus $26,631 — a gap of $19,456 a year, or $77,824 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 Cowley County Community College or Bellus Academy graduates earn more?
Cowley County Community College graduates report a median $37,723 ten years after entry, $12,500 more than the $25,223 at Bellus Academy. 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, Cowley County Community College or Bellus Academy?
Bellus Academy: its completers carry a median $7,917 in federal loans versus $8,000 at Cowley County Community College, a difference of $83. 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?
74% of students finish at Bellus Academy, against 45% at Cowley County 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.