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Cowley County Community College

Public Arkansas City, KS · Town · Plains · 87% data
A- Affordability A- Value C Diversity
Graduation Rate
46% D+
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$37,723 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$7,175 A-
58% less than the typical college
Enrollment
1,543
Earnings -7% vs avg
Graduation -19% vs avg
Net Price +-58% vs avg

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 30.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $30.2 over 20 years.

30.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $30.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $837,875.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Every $1 invested returns $30.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Cowley County Community College Matters

Cowley County Community College is a public college in Arkansas City, KS and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
1,543
Setting
Town
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Precision Production, Culinary & Personal Services

Why students choose Cowley County Community College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 40% overall
C-
Earnings
$37,723 median
A-
Value
5.3× net price
A-
Affordability
$7,175/yr net
D+
Graduation
46% graduate
C
Diversity
0.60 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Cowley County Community College serves 1,543 students, making it a close-knit community college experience. With a graduation rate of 46%, students can expect a supportive environment as they work toward their degrees.

The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data is not available for this college, but it’s crucial to consider the earning potential after graduation. Graduates can expect to earn an average of $37,723 within ten years of completing their studies. This figure provides a glimpse into the return on investment for students choosing Cowley County Community College.

The cost of attendance is manageable, with a net price of $7,175 and a median debt of $8,000. About 35% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating that financial aid is accessible for many. Those who thrive here often pursue programs in humanities, health professions, precision production, mechanic and repair technology, or culinary and personal services. The college caters well to students seeking practical skills and immediate employment opportunities.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Cowley County Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Cowley County Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Arkansas City, Kansas, Cowley County Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 46%.

Retention Rate
63%
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$5,657
Student–Faculty Ratio
16:1
Diversity Index
0.60
First-Gen Students
40%

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 Cowley County Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Cowley County Community College is $6,600, 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 $7,175. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,305 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $8,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,800
Out-of-State
$6,600
Avg Net Price
$7,175
Median Debt
$8,000
Pell Grant Rate
35%
Federal Loan Rate
22%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$6,305
Family Income $30K–$48K
$5,566
Family Income $48K–$75K
$8,017
Family Income $110K+
$9,632

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 Cowley County Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Cowley County Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Cowley County Community College report median earnings of $37,723, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$33,469
8 Years
$34,220
10 Years
$37,723
Debt-to-Earnings
0.21x
Earning > $25K
50%

Earnings Trajectory

$33,469 6yr $34,220 8yr $37,723 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (196)
36%
100% (196)
36%
100% (196)
36%
100% (196)
36%

How Cowley Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation46%Earnings 10yr$38KNet Price$7KRetention63%Median Debt$8KPell Grant Rate35%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$8K$48-75K$10K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Cowley County Community College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Cowley County Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $7,175/year ($28,700 total). Graduates earn $37,723 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $866,575 in total earnings — a net gain of $837,875 (30.2× your investment). The median debt is $8,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 46% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$28,700
Projected 20yr Earnings
$866,575
Net Return
$837,875
ROI Multiple
30.2×
Cost Per Year
$7,175
Median Debt
$8,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
46%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Cowley County Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Cowley County Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.25, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.25
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.00
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
6.3%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Top Programs

The fields Cowley County 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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Cowley County Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Arkansas City, Kansas, Cowley County Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 46%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Cowley County Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Cowley County Community College is $6,600, 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 $7,175. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,305 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $8,000 in federal student loans.

Is Cowley County Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Cowley County Community College report median earnings of $37,723, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Cowley County Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Cowley County Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.25, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Cowley County Community College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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