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Public · 2-year

Colby Community College

Colby, Kansas

72
B
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Strong value

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

Strong return
+$45,132 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 2 years.

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

3 yrs
Break-even
+237%
10-year ROI
$51,415
Median earnings as of 2024
60% of Colby Community College 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

$7,886
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$51,415
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$8,908
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
Graduation rate as of 2024
60%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
82%
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.

$45,132
After 10 years
$109,282
After 20 years
$173,432
After 30 years
$237,582
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
$39,648
Men
$46,377

15% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$40,754
From higher-income families
$49,114

17% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$41,057
Independent students
$43,371

5% gap between the two groups

40%
First-generation students
18%
Take federal student loans
97%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 72%Hispanic 6%Asian 1%Black 7%Other 15%

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$7,707
$30k–$48k$13,160
$48k–$75k$13,160
$75k–$110k
$110k+

How Colby Community College compares

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

Graduate earnings over time

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

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Best-paying majors at Colby Community College

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
Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate$51,415+714%Strong return

Calculate your own ROI

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

ROI at Colby Community College

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
838
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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