Head-to-head comparison
St Clair County Community College vs Alpena Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Port Huron, MI
St Clair County Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,571
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,177
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Alpena, MI
Alpena Community College
- Net price / year
- $3,320
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,442
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but St Clair County Community College comes closer — median earnings $40,177 against a $11,142 total, vs $36,442 at Alpena Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | St Clair County Community College | Alpena Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,571 | $3,320 |
| Total net cost | $11,142 | $6,640 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,177 | $36,442 |
| Median debt | $11,750 | $9,024 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$174,802 | -$245,000 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, St Clair County Community College or Alpena Community College?
Alpena Community College, at $3,320 a year after aid versus $5,571 — a gap of $2,251 a year, or $4,502 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 Clair County Community College or Alpena Community College graduates earn more?
St Clair County Community College graduates report a median $40,177 ten years after entry, $3,735 more than the $36,442 at Alpena 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 Clair County Community College or Alpena Community College?
Alpena Community College: its completers carry a median $9,024 in federal loans versus $11,750 at St Clair County Community College, a difference of $2,726. 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?
52% of students finish at Alpena Community College, against 34% at St Clair County 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.