Head-to-head comparison
Great Bay Community College vs Colby-Sawyer College: which has better ROI?
Option A Portsmouth, NH
Great Bay Community College
- Net price / year
- $15,768
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,397
- Payback
- No payback
Option B New London, NH
Colby-Sawyer College
- Net price / year
- $27,431
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,474
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Colby-Sawyer College comes closer — median earnings $46,474 against a $109,724 total, vs $42,397 at Great Bay Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Great Bay Community College | Colby-Sawyer College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $15,768 | $27,431 |
| Total net cost | $31,536 | $109,724 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,397 | $46,474 |
| Median debt | $13,828 | $27,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$150,796 | -$147,444 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Great Bay Community College or Colby-Sawyer College?
Great Bay Community College, at $15,768 a year after aid versus $27,431 — a gap of $11,663 a year, or $78,188 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 Great Bay Community College or Colby-Sawyer College graduates earn more?
Colby-Sawyer College graduates report a median $46,474 ten years after entry, $4,077 more than the $42,397 at Great Bay 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, Great Bay Community College or Colby-Sawyer College?
Great Bay Community College: its completers carry a median $13,828 in federal loans versus $27,000 at Colby-Sawyer College, a difference of $13,172. 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?
57% of students finish at Colby-Sawyer College, against 34% at Great Bay 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.