Head-to-head comparison
Highline College vs Clover Park Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Des Moines, WA
Highline College
- Net price / year
- $9,879
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,869
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Lakewood, WA
Clover Park Technical College
- Net price / year
- $9,864
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,787
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Highline College comes closer — median earnings $47,869 against a $19,758 total, vs $41,787 at Clover Park Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Highline College | Clover Park Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $9,879 | $9,864 |
| Total net cost | $19,758 | $39,456 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,869 | $41,787 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $12,112 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$29,578 | -$170,916 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Highline College or Clover Park Technical College?
Clover Park Technical College, at $9,864 a year after aid versus $9,879 — a gap of $15 a year, or $19,698 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 Highline College or Clover Park Technical College graduates earn more?
Highline College graduates report a median $47,869 ten years after entry, $6,082 more than the $41,787 at Clover Park Technical 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, Highline College or Clover Park Technical College?
Highline College: its completers carry a median $9,500 in federal loans versus $12,112 at Clover Park Technical College, a difference of $2,612. 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?
43% of students finish at Clover Park Technical College, against 35% at Highline 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.