Head-to-head comparison
Rowan College at Burlington County vs Atlantic Cape Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Mount Laurel, NJ
Rowan College at Burlington County
- Net price / year
- $5,344
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,745
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Mays Landing, NJ
Atlantic Cape Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,392
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,241
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Rowan College at Burlington County comes closer — median earnings $44,745 against a $10,688 total, vs $34,241 at Atlantic Cape Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Rowan College at Burlington County | Atlantic Cape Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,344 | $8,392 |
| Total net cost | $10,688 | $16,784 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $44,745 | $34,241 |
| Median debt | $10,500 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$82,988 | -$299,164 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Rowan College at Burlington County or Atlantic Cape Community College?
Rowan College at Burlington County, at $5,344 a year after aid versus $8,392 — a gap of $3,048 a year, or $6,096 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 Rowan College at Burlington County or Atlantic Cape Community College graduates earn more?
Rowan College at Burlington County graduates report a median $44,745 ten years after entry, $10,504 more than the $34,241 at Atlantic Cape 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, Rowan College at Burlington County or Atlantic Cape Community College?
Atlantic Cape Community College: its completers carry a median $9,500 in federal loans versus $10,500 at Rowan College at Burlington County, a difference of $1,000. 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?
36% of students finish at Rowan College at Burlington County, against 30% at Atlantic Cape 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.