Head-to-head comparison
Holyoke Community College vs Cambridge College: which has better ROI?
Option A Holyoke, MA
Holyoke Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,068
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,277
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Boston, MA
Cambridge College
- Net price / year
- $31,072
- Earnings, 10 years
- $45,998
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Cambridge College comes closer — median earnings $45,998 against a $124,288 total, vs $37,277 at Holyoke Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Holyoke Community College | Cambridge College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,068 | $31,072 |
| Total net cost | $16,136 | $124,288 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,277 | $45,998 |
| Median debt | $8,250 | $21,791 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$237,796 | -$171,528 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Holyoke Community College or Cambridge College?
Holyoke Community College, at $8,068 a year after aid versus $31,072 — a gap of $23,004 a year, or $108,152 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 Holyoke Community College or Cambridge College graduates earn more?
Cambridge College graduates report a median $45,998 ten years after entry, $8,721 more than the $37,277 at Holyoke 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, Holyoke Community College or Cambridge College?
Holyoke Community College: its completers carry a median $8,250 in federal loans versus $21,791 at Cambridge College, a difference of $13,541. 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?
29% of students finish at Holyoke Community College, against 11% at Cambridge 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.