Head-to-head comparison
Truckee Meadows Community College vs Avalon Institute-Las Vegas: which has better ROI?
Option A Reno, NV
Truckee Meadows Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,312
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,573
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Las Vegas, NV
Avalon Institute-Las Vegas
- Net price / year
- $16,571
- Earnings, 10 years
- $30,803
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Truckee Meadows Community College comes closer — median earnings $44,573 against a $33,248 total, vs $30,803 at Avalon Institute-Las Vegas. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Truckee Meadows Community College | Avalon Institute-Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,312 | $16,571 |
| Total net cost | $33,248 | $66,284 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $44,573 | $30,803 |
| Median debt | $11,000 | $6,332 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$108,988 | -$417,424 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Truckee Meadows Community College or Avalon Institute-Las Vegas?
Truckee Meadows Community College, at $8,312 a year after aid versus $16,571 — a gap of $8,259 a year, or $33,036 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 Truckee Meadows Community College or Avalon Institute-Las Vegas graduates earn more?
Truckee Meadows Community College graduates report a median $44,573 ten years after entry, $13,770 more than the $30,803 at Avalon Institute-Las Vegas. 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, Truckee Meadows Community College or Avalon Institute-Las Vegas?
Avalon Institute-Las Vegas: its completers carry a median $6,332 in federal loans versus $11,000 at Truckee Meadows Community College, a difference of $4,668. 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?
84% of students finish at Avalon Institute-Las Vegas, against 32% at Truckee Meadows 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.