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Public · 4-year

Community College of Aurora

Aurora, Colorado

48
D
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Weak value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Strong return
+$26,200 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.

5.9 yrs
Break-even
+68%
10-year ROI
$51,465
Median earnings as of 2024
61% of Community College of Aurora students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$8,656
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$51,465
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$37,999
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$10,500
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
Graduation rate as of 2024
61%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
50%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$26,200
After 10 years
$90,850
After 20 years
$155,500
After 30 years
$220,150
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$42,411
Men
$49,101

14% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$41,129
From higher-income families
$57,087

28% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$43,850
Independent students
$45,311

3% gap between the two groups

51%
First-generation students
7%
Take federal student loans
86%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 25%Hispanic 34%Asian 6%Black 23%Other 12%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$6,305
$30k–$48k$6,611
$48k–$75k$9,726
$75k–$110k$12,409
$110k+$16,700

How Community College of Aurora compares

This college against the Colorado and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Community College of Aurora students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Community College of Aurora

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate$60,614+1,704%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$56,353+1,212%Strong return
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate$55,648+1,130%Strong return
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate$55,279+1,088%Strong return
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate$54,026+943%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$48,903+351%Strong return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate$48,154$12,000+142%Strong return
Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate$46,706+97%Strong return
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsCertificate$36,726$18,114-642%Poor return
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsCertificate$38,543-846%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Community College of Aurora

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

Admission rate
0
Average SAT
0
Median ACT
3,250
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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