Head-to-head comparison
Spokane Community College vs Centralia College: which has better ROI?
Option A Spokane, WA
Spokane Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,473
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,984
- 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 Centralia College comes closer — median earnings $43,140 against a $19,724 total, vs $41,984 at Spokane Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Spokane Community College | Centralia College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,473 | $9,862 |
| Total net cost | $10,946 | $19,724 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,984 | $43,140 |
| Median debt | $13,501 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$138,466 | -$124,124 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Spokane Community College or Centralia College?
Spokane Community College, at $5,473 a year after aid versus $9,862 — a gap of $4,389 a year, or $8,778 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 Spokane Community College or Centralia College graduates earn more?
Centralia College graduates report a median $43,140 ten years after entry, $1,156 more than the $41,984 at Spokane 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?
42% of students finish at Centralia College, against 33% at Spokane 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.