Head-to-head comparison
Finger Lakes Community College vs Bard College: which has better ROI?
Option A Canandaigua, NY
Finger Lakes Community College
- Net price / year
- $13,898
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,054
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
Bard College
- Net price / year
- $34,649
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,543
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Bard College comes closer — median earnings $46,543 against a $138,596 total, vs $40,054 at Finger Lakes Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Finger Lakes Community College | Bard College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $13,898 | $34,649 |
| Total net cost | $27,796 | $138,596 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,054 | $46,543 |
| Median debt | $12,975 | $24,254 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$193,916 | -$174,936 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Finger Lakes Community College or Bard College?
Finger Lakes Community College, at $13,898 a year after aid versus $34,649 — a gap of $20,751 a year, or $110,800 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 Finger Lakes Community College or Bard College graduates earn more?
Bard College graduates report a median $46,543 ten years after entry, $6,489 more than the $40,054 at Finger Lakes 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 leaves students with less debt, Finger Lakes Community College or Bard College?
Finger Lakes Community College: its completers carry a median $12,975 in federal loans versus $24,254 at Bard College, a difference of $11,279. 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?
68% of students finish at Bard College, against 30% at Finger Lakes 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.