Head-to-head comparison
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City vs Cottey College: which has better ROI?
Option A Kansas City, MO
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
- Net price / year
- $8,398
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,796
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Nevada, MO
Cottey College
- Net price / year
- $13,805
- Earnings, 10 years
- $35,422
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City comes closer — median earnings $40,796 against a $16,796 total, vs $35,422 at Cottey College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City | Cottey College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,398 | $13,805 |
| Total net cost | $16,796 | $55,220 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,796 | $35,422 |
| Median debt | $10,073 | $19,043 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$168,076 | -$313,980 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City or Cottey College?
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City, at $8,398 a year after aid versus $13,805 — a gap of $5,407 a year, or $38,424 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 Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City or Cottey College graduates earn more?
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City graduates report a median $40,796 ten years after entry, $5,374 more than the $35,422 at Cottey 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, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City or Cottey College?
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City: its completers carry a median $10,073 in federal loans versus $19,043 at Cottey College, a difference of $8,970. 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?
56% of students finish at Cottey College, against 34% at Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City. 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.