10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$136,790at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Columbus State Community College
⌖ Columbus, OH · 44 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$136,790 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-4 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
27.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
−64%Modeled 10-year ROI
$52,681Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Columbus State Community College
What does Columbus State Community College cost?
Columbus State Community College reports an average annual net price of $8,400 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Columbus State Community College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $52,681 4 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Columbus State Community College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $8,749. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Columbus State Community College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 44 field-and-credential outcomes at Columbus State Community College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$103,190
$8,000Current college-wide context−$135,190
$16,000Annual price−$167,190
$24,000Annual price−$199,190
$32,000Annual price−$231,190
$40,000Annual price−$263,190
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Certificates
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$8,400Average net price / year
$13,381Cost of attendance
$8,749Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$93/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$52,681Median earnings · year 4 after completion
28.1%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
17,549Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
29% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
118 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
29% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$34,002Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$47,177Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$49,500Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income23%
Middle income41%
Higher income54%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 2–4 years · Broad federal field 47
$47,802Year 1
$61,703Year 5
$99,192Year 10
Computer Programming.Associate degree · Broad federal field 11
$46,728Year 1
$70,298Year 5
$89,259Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$51,981Year 1
$62,382Year 5
$78,083Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 47
$43,912Year 1
$65,554Year 5
$77,093Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$56,206Year 1
$63,864Year 5
$74,236Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Associate degree · Broad federal field 43
$47,160Year 1
$55,507Year 5
$71,360Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 15
$50,245Year 1
$62,021Year 5
$67,850Year 10
Law.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 22
$45,751Year 1
$55,464Year 5
$67,254Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
Not availableYear 1
$52,681Year 4
Not availableYear 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$82,8372Construction Engineering Technology/Technician · Associate's Degree$81,5463Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$78,3184Construction Engineering Technology/Technician · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$77,8965Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$75,0456Business Administration, Management and Operations · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$71,6157Computer Programming · Associate's Degree$70,8308Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$68,362Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Graphic CommunicationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $54,711 reported+70%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $78,318 reported+52%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Business Administration, Management and OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $71,615 reported+51%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Accounting and Related ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $66,617 reported+49%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Design and Applied ArtsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $50,921 reported+41%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Health and Medical Administrative ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $48,961 reported+38%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in OH
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Lima, OH
James A. Rhodes State College
- Annual net price
- $8,757
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $51,047
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -72%
Marion Technical College
- Annual net price
- $7,417
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $51,345
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -70%
Kent State University at Stark
- Annual net price
- $10,897
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,321
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -63%
Kent State University at Trumbull
- Annual net price
- $11,135
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,321
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -63%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $82,837 | Not available | Not reported |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Associate's Degree | $81,546 | Not available | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $78,318 | Not available | 53 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $77,896 | Not available | 22 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $75,045 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $71,615 | Not available | 84 |
| Computer Programming | Associate's Degree | $70,830 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $68,362 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $67,973 | Not available | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $67,182 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $66,617 | Not available | 40 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $64,004 | Not available | 143 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Associate's Degree | $62,475 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $60,841 | Not available | 42 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $59,721 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $59,489 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $58,103 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $57,957 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $57,644 | Not available | 39 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Associate's Degree | $56,995 | Not available | Not reported |
| Graphic Communications | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $54,711 | Not available | 59 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $54,552 | $5,000 | 14 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $54,379 | Not available | 77 |
| Marketing | Associate's Degree | $53,723 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $53,695 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $52,341 | Not available | Not reported |
| Real Estate | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,228 | Not available | 10 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $50,921 | Not available | 30 |
| Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $50,188 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $48,961 | Not available | 31 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $47,954 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $47,626 | $13,082 | Not reported |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $46,055 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Support Services | Associate's Degree | $44,915 | Not available | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Associate's Degree | $43,944 | Not available | Not reported |
| American Sign Language | Associate's Degree | $43,647 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $42,698 | Not available | Not reported |
| Graphic Communications | Associate's Degree | $42,634 | Not available | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Associate's Degree | $41,947 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $38,866 | Not available | 28 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $36,095 | Not available | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's Degree | $34,540 | Not available | Not reported |
| Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $32,090 | Not available | 21 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $31,370 | Not available | 34 |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.