Head-to-head comparison
Leeward Community College vs Kauai Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Pearl City, HI
Leeward Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,137
- Earnings, 10 years
- $39,899
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Lihue, HI
Kauai Community College
- Net price / year
- $10,436
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,868
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Leeward Community College comes closer — median earnings $39,899 against a $10,274 total, vs $36,868 at Kauai Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Leeward Community College | Kauai Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,137 | $10,436 |
| Total net cost | $10,274 | $41,744 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $39,899 | $36,868 |
| Median debt | $8,970 | $10,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$179,494 | -$271,584 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Leeward Community College or Kauai Community College?
Leeward Community College, at $5,137 a year after aid versus $10,436 — a gap of $5,299 a year, or $31,470 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 Leeward Community College or Kauai Community College graduates earn more?
Leeward Community College graduates report a median $39,899 ten years after entry, $3,031 more than the $36,868 at Kauai 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, Leeward Community College or Kauai Community College?
Leeward Community College: its completers carry a median $8,970 in federal loans versus $10,500 at Kauai Community College, a difference of $1,530. 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?
48% of students finish at Kauai Community College, against 35% at Leeward 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.