Head-to-head comparison
East Mississippi Community College vs Blue Cliff College-Gulfport: which has better ROI?
Option A Scooba, MS
East Mississippi Community College
- Net price / year
- $4,608
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,772
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Gulfport, MS
Blue Cliff College-Gulfport
- Net price / year
- $8,252
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,177
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but East Mississippi Community College comes closer — median earnings $33,772 against a $9,216 total, vs $22,177 at Blue Cliff College-Gulfport. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | East Mississippi Community College | Blue Cliff College-Gulfport |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $4,608 | $8,252 |
| Total net cost | $9,216 | $33,008 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $33,772 | $22,177 |
| Median debt | $9,006 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$300,976 | -$556,668 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, East Mississippi Community College or Blue Cliff College-Gulfport?
East Mississippi Community College, at $4,608 a year after aid versus $8,252 — a gap of $3,644 a year, or $23,792 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 East Mississippi Community College or Blue Cliff College-Gulfport graduates earn more?
East Mississippi Community College graduates report a median $33,772 ten years after entry, $11,595 more than the $22,177 at Blue Cliff College-Gulfport. 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, East Mississippi Community College or Blue Cliff College-Gulfport?
East Mississippi Community College: its completers carry a median $9,006 in federal loans versus $9,500 at Blue Cliff College-Gulfport, a difference of $494. 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?
70% of students finish at Blue Cliff College-Gulfport, against 48% at East Mississippi 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.