Head-to-head comparison
Southwest Virginia Community College vs Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas: which has better ROI?
Option A Cedar Bluff, VA
Southwest Virginia Community College
- Net price / year
- $6,005
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,221
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Manassas, VA
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
- Net price / year
- $27,320
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,441
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas comes closer — median earnings $46,441 against a $109,280 total, vs $34,221 at Southwest Virginia Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Southwest Virginia Community College | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,005 | $27,320 |
| Total net cost | $24,020 | $109,280 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $34,221 | $46,441 |
| Median debt | — | $31,959 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$306,800 | -$147,660 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Southwest Virginia Community College or Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas?
Southwest Virginia Community College, at $6,005 a year after aid versus $27,320 — a gap of $21,315 a year, or $85,260 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 Southwest Virginia Community College or Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas graduates earn more?
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas graduates report a median $46,441 ten years after entry, $12,220 more than the $34,221 at Southwest Virginia 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 graduates more of its students?
82% of students finish at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas, against 46% at Southwest Virginia 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.