Head-to-head comparison
Tacoma Community College vs Centralia College: which has better ROI?
Option A Tacoma, WA
Tacoma Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,376
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,168
- 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 Tacoma Community College comes closer — median earnings $47,168 against a $16,752 total, vs $43,140 at Centralia College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Tacoma Community College | Centralia College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,376 | $9,862 |
| Total net cost | $16,752 | $19,724 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,168 | $43,140 |
| Median debt | $13,000 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$40,592 | -$124,124 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Tacoma Community College or Centralia College?
Tacoma Community College, at $8,376 a year after aid versus $9,862 — a gap of $1,486 a year, or $2,972 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 Tacoma Community College or Centralia College graduates earn more?
Tacoma Community College graduates report a median $47,168 ten years after entry, $4,028 more than the $43,140 at Centralia 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 32% at Tacoma 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.