Head-to-head comparison
Skagit Valley College vs Centralia College: which has better ROI?
Option A Mount Vernon, WA
Skagit Valley College
- Net price / year
- $6,064
- Earnings, 10 years
- $43,505
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Centralia, WA
Centralia College
- Net price / year
- $9,862
- Earnings, 10 years
- $43,140
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Skagit Valley College comes closer — median earnings $43,505 against a $12,128 total, vs $43,140 at Centralia College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Skagit Valley College | Centralia College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,064 | $9,862 |
| Total net cost | $12,128 | $19,724 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $43,505 | $43,140 |
| Median debt | $13,805 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$109,228 | -$124,124 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Skagit Valley College or Centralia College?
Skagit Valley College, at $6,064 a year after aid versus $9,862 — a gap of $3,798 a year, or $7,596 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 Skagit Valley College or Centralia College graduates earn more?
Skagit Valley College graduates report a median $43,505 ten years after entry, $365 more than the $43,140 at Centralia 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 graduates more of its students?
42% of students finish at Centralia College, against 36% at Skagit Valley 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.