Head-to-head comparison
Southwestern Oregon Community College vs Carrington College-Portland: which has better ROI?
Option A Coos Bay, OR
Southwestern Oregon Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,527
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,349
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Portland, OR
Carrington College-Portland
- Net price / year
- $36,595
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,625
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Southwestern Oregon Community College comes closer — median earnings $38,349 against a $17,054 total, vs $36,625 at Carrington College-Portland. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Southwestern Oregon Community College | Carrington College-Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,527 | $36,595 |
| Total net cost | $17,054 | $146,380 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,349 | $36,625 |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $9,295 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$217,274 | -$381,080 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Southwestern Oregon Community College or Carrington College-Portland?
Southwestern Oregon Community College, at $8,527 a year after aid versus $36,595 — a gap of $28,068 a year, or $129,326 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 Southwestern Oregon Community College or Carrington College-Portland graduates earn more?
Southwestern Oregon Community College graduates report a median $38,349 ten years after entry, $1,724 more than the $36,625 at Carrington College-Portland. 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, Southwestern Oregon Community College or Carrington College-Portland?
Carrington College-Portland: its completers carry a median $9,295 in federal loans versus $12,000 at Southwestern Oregon Community College, a difference of $2,705. 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?
54% of students finish at Carrington College-Portland, against 40% at Southwestern Oregon 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.