Head-to-head comparison
St Charles Community College vs Columbia College: which has better ROI?
Option A Cottleville, MO
St Charles Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,837
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,422
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Columbia, MO
Columbia College
- Net price / year
- $22,715
- Earnings, 10 years
- $45,378
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but St Charles Community College comes closer — median earnings $42,422 against a $11,674 total, vs $45,378 at Columbia College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | St Charles Community College | Columbia College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,837 | $22,715 |
| Total net cost | $11,674 | $90,860 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,422 | $45,378 |
| Median debt | $6,187 | $23,879 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$130,434 | -$150,500 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, St Charles Community College or Columbia College?
St Charles Community College, at $5,837 a year after aid versus $22,715 — a gap of $16,878 a year, or $79,186 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 St Charles Community College or Columbia College graduates earn more?
Columbia College graduates report a median $45,378 ten years after entry, $2,956 more than the $42,422 at St Charles 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, St Charles Community College or Columbia College?
St Charles Community College: its completers carry a median $6,187 in federal loans versus $23,879 at Columbia College, a difference of $17,692. 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?
42% of students finish at Columbia College, against 25% at St Charles 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.