Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Whatcom Community College

Bellingham, WA · 4 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$259,320 over 10 years

Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

Modeled economic break-even
−114%Modeled 10-year ROI
$41,786Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$259,320at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$227,1800
2
4
6
8
−$259,32010
Years after graduationBreak-even: years
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.

Published in-state tuition$5,115
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$11,037
Sticker price
Average net price$11,795
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$19,672
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, completion and earnings context

$11,795Average net price / year
$19,672Cost of attendance
$41,786Median earnings · year 5 after completion
36.4%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
2,378Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

41thEarnings percentile
19thCompletion percentile
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$36,852Year 1
$43,628Year 4
$41,786Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

The college average is not the whole story.

Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.

1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$88,4102Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services · Associate's Degree$51,4853Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$39,888

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in WA

Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.

Moses Lake, WA

Big Bend Community College

Annual net price
$12,210
Observed earnings · year 5
$41,648
Modeled 10-year ROI
-115%
Open college profile →
Port Angeles, WA

Peninsula College

Annual net price
$9,246
Observed earnings · year 5
$41,499
Modeled 10-year ROI
-116%
Open college profile →
Yakima, WA

Yakima Valley College

Annual net price
$11,843
Observed earnings · year 5
$46,136
Modeled 10-year ROI
-95%
Open college profile →
Centralia, WA

Centralia College

Annual net price
$9,862
Observed earnings · year 5
$44,389
Modeled 10-year ROI
-103%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree$88,410$17,726
Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree$51,485$19,660
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree$39,888$11,458
Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssociate's DegreeNot available$17,510

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.