Chesapeake College
#4 Most Affordable Colleges in Maryland- Graduation Rate
- 27% F
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $36,301 C-
- Below average for college graduates
- Net Price
- $5,106 A
- 70% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 1,320
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 36.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $36.9 over 20 years. Ranked #4 in Most Affordable Colleges in Maryland.
Every $1 spent returns $36.9 over 20 years. Net gain: $733,632.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 27% — 52% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $36.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
About Chesapeake College
Chesapeake 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
- 1,320
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Chesapeake 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 $5,106 a year after grants and scholarships — 70% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $36,301 ten years after enrolling — 11% below the typical college.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.5% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 49% nationally for mobility. High social capital (0.98 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Chesapeake College is a great fit for students looking to dive into practical fields like Health Professions, Business & Marketing, or Computer Science. With 1,320 students, it has a tight-knit community where you can forge meaningful connections. That smaller size can lead to more personalized attention from instructors, which is valuable when navigating your studies in areas like Humanities or Education.
After graduation, students can expect to earn an average of $36,301 after ten years, which gives a sense of the potential return on their investment. While the graduation rate sits at 27%, those who do complete their programs are positioned to move into careers that are in demand. The affordability of tuition is another significant factor; the net price is just $5,106 after aid, making it accessible for many.
Looking at the practical aspects, students here often thrive when they are proactive and engaged in their education. The financial burden is manageable, especially since a portion of students—23%—receive Pell Grants. This means that many find ways to finance their education without taking on crippling debt. Ultimately, if you're motivated and ready to tackle your goals, Chesapeake College could be a solid stepping stone for your future.
Rankings
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Maryland
- #16 Best Education Colleges in Maryland
- #28 Best Nursing Colleges in Maryland
- #31 Best Computer Science Colleges in Maryland
- #31 Best Data Science Colleges in Maryland
- #33 Best Business Colleges in Maryland
- #37 Best Online Colleges in Maryland
- #39 Best Colleges in Maryland
Can I Get In?
How selective Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Chesapeake College, located in Wye Mills, Maryland, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 27%.
- Retention Rate
- 63%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 33%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $8,279
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 15:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.58
- First-Gen Students
- 54%
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 Chesapeake College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Chesapeake College is $8,768, 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 $5,106. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,668 after need-based grants.
- In-State Tuition
- $4,274
- Out-of-State
- $8,768
- Avg Net Price
- $5,106
- Pell Grant Rate
- 23%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 0%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $4,668
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $4,152
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $6,884
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 Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Chesapeake College report median earnings of $36,301, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,022
- 8 Years
- $35,105
- 10 Years
- $36,301
- Earning > $25K
- 46%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (43)
- 17%
- 100% (43)
- 17%
- 100% (43)
- 17%
- 100% (43)
- 17%
How Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Chesapeake College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,106/year ($20,424 total). Graduates earn $36,301 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $754,056 in total earnings — a net gain of $733,632 (36.9× your investment).. With a 27% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $20,424
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $754,056
- Net Return
- $733,632
- ROI Multiple
- 36.9×
- Cost Per Year
- $5,106
- Graduation Rate
- 27%
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 Chesapeake College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Chesapeake 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 1.49%, 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 9.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $65,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.49%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 9.4%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 15.9%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $88,992
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $4,309,220
- Federal Grants
- $1,381,965
- Investment Income
- $36,186
Top Programs
The fields Chesapeake 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.
- Humanities 35%
- Health Professions 28% $63,895 early-career
- Business & Marketing 13%
- Computer Science & IT 6%
- Education 6%
- Biology & Biomedical 3%
- Criminal Justice 2%
- Visual & Performing Arts 1%
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 Chesapeake 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
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Chesapeake College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Chesapeake College, located in Wye Mills, Maryland, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 27%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Chesapeake College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Chesapeake College is $8,768, 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 $5,106. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,668 after need-based grants.
Is Chesapeake College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Chesapeake College report median earnings of $36,301, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Chesapeake College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Chesapeake 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 1.49%, 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 9.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $65,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.98, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Chesapeake College.
- BridgeValley Community & Technical CollegeSouth Charleston, WV · Close peer30% grad $36,432 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Southwestern Michigan CollegeDowagiac, MI · Close peer32% grad $37,303 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Montcalm Community CollegeSidney, MI · Close peer29% grad $35,499 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Chattahoochee Valley Community CollegePhenix City, AL · Close peer36% grad $36,438 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Kirtland Community CollegeGrayling, MI · Close peer30% grad $35,831 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Ulster County Community CollegeStone Ridge, NY · Close peer32% grad $41,896 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size · similar net price
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.98, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note