Alpena Community College
#5 Most Affordable Colleges in Michigan- Graduation Rate
- 51% C-
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $36,442 C-
- Below average for college graduates
- Net Price
- $3,320 A+
- 81% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 732
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 56.8× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $56.8 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Most Affordable Colleges in Michigan.
Every $1 spent returns $56.8 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $740,954.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Every $1 invested returns $56.8 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
About Alpena Community College
Alpena Community College is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 732
- Setting
- Town
- Primary Strengths
- Construction Trades, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Humanities
Why students choose Alpena Community College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $3,320 a year after grants and scholarships — 81% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $36,442 ten years after enrolling — 11% below the typical college, against $9,024 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.5% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 47% nationally for mobility. High social capital (0.98 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an enrollment of 732 students, Alpena Community College is a solid choice for those interested in practical, career-oriented studies. The top programs here include Construction Trades, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Humanities, and Precision Production. This variety means that whether you're looking to jump into the workforce directly or get a solid grounding in the arts and sciences, there's something that fits your goals.
Looking at what happens after graduation, the earnings for alumni after ten years average around $36,442. That’s a reasonable starting point for many, especially considering the low cost of living in the area. The affordability of attending Alpena is hard to overlook, with a net price of just $3,320. This makes it easier for graduates to find stability without being weighed down by excessive debt.
Speaking of debt, the median load for students who take on loans is $9,024, which is manageable compared to many other institutions. Many students here tend to thrive if they are focused on hands-on learning and career readiness. The 51% graduation rate indicates that while not everyone finishes, those who do often find pathways that lead to meaningful employment in their chosen fields.
Rankings
- #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Michigan
- #12 Most Affordable Master's Programs
- #12 Cheapest Online Master's Programs
- #12 Most Affordable Online Master's Programs
- #16 Best Nursing Colleges in Michigan
- #18 Best Master's Programs in Michigan
- #21 Best Computer Science Colleges in Michigan
- #21 Best Data Science Colleges in Michigan
Can I Get In?
How selective Alpena Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Alpena Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Alpena, Michigan, Alpena Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 51%.
- Retention Rate
- 50%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 52%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $9,860
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 14:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.25
- First-Gen Students
- 43%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Alpena Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Alpena Community College is $8,010, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $3,320. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $590 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,024 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $5,250
- Out-of-State
- $8,010
- Avg Net Price
- $3,320
- Median Debt
- $9,024
- Pell Grant Rate
- 22%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 10%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $590
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $897
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $2,630
- Family Income $110K+
- $10,623
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Alpena Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Alpena Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Alpena Community College report median earnings of $36,442, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,275
- 8 Years
- $35,994
- 10 Years
- $36,442
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.25x
- Earning > $25K
- 45%
Earnings Trajectory
How Alpena Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Alpena Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Alpena Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $3,320/year ($13,280 total). Graduates earn $36,442 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $754,234 in total earnings — a net gain of $740,954 (56.8× your investment). The median debt is $9,024, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 51% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $13,280
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $754,234
- Net Return
- $740,954
- ROI Multiple
- 56.8×
- Cost Per Year
- $3,320
- Median Debt
- $9,024
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 51%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Alpena Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Alpena Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.53%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 15.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $60,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.53%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 9.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 15.9%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $82,334
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $7,385,053
- Federal Grants
- $2,820,715
- Investment Income
- $-128,175
Top Programs
The fields Alpena Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Construction Trades 30% $53,389 early-career
- Health Professions 26% $58,476 early-career
- Business & Marketing 6%
- Humanities 6%
- Precision Production 4%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 4% $26,827 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 3%
- Psychology 2%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Alpena Community College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Alpena Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Alpena, Michigan, Alpena Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 51%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Alpena Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Alpena Community College is $8,010, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $3,320. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $590 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,024 in federal student loans.
Is Alpena Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Alpena Community College report median earnings of $36,442, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Alpena Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Alpena Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.53%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 15.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $60,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Alpena Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Alpena Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.98, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 13% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Alpena Community College.
- Haskell Indian Nations UniversityLawrence, KS · Close peer31% grad $37,043 earn 90% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Zane State CollegeZanesville, OH · Close peer49% grad $35,006 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Northwest Indian CollegeBellingham, WA · Close peer22% grad $35,447 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Turtle Mountain CollegeBelcourt, ND · Close peer49% grad $32,079 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size · similar net price
- American Samoa Community CollegePago Pago, AS · Close peer40% grad $30,087 earnWhy: similar size · similar net price
- Northwest CollegePowell, WY · Close peer46% grad $36,950 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Alpena Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Alpena Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.98, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 13% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note