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Hutchinson Community College

#6 Most Affordable Colleges in Kansas
Public Hutchinson, KS · Town · Plains · 87% data
A Value A- Affordability C+ Diversity
Graduation Rate
49% C-
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$43,470 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$6,727 A-
61% less than the typical college
Enrollment
3,039
Earnings +7% vs avg
Graduation -14% vs avg
Net Price +-61% vs avg
Mobility Top 81%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 39.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $39.4 over 20 years. Ranked #6 in Most Affordable Colleges in Kansas.

39.4× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $39.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,033,607.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Every $1 invested returns $39.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Hutchinson Community College Matters

Hutchinson Community College is a public college in Hutchinson, 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
3,039
Setting
Town
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Humanities, Transportation, Criminal Justice

Why students choose Hutchinson Community College

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

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C+
Top 41% overall
C+
Earnings
$43,470 median
A
Value
6.5× net price
A-
Affordability
$6,727/yr net
C-
Graduation
49% graduate
D
Social Mobility
0.9% climb Q1→Q5
C+
Diversity
0.64 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Hutchinson Community College serves around 3,039 students, making it a compact institution where personal attention is likely part of the experience. The college has a graduation rate of 49%, indicating that nearly half of the students complete their programs in a timely manner.

The earnings for graduates ten years after enrollment stand at $43,470. While specific mobility rates aren't available, the data suggests that students can expect a reasonable return on their investment, especially considering the affordable net price of $6,727. This affordability can make a significant difference for students from lower-income backgrounds, with 23% of students receiving Pell Grants.

Practical considerations matter, too. Graduates leave with a median debt of $9,773, which is manageable compared to the potential earnings. Students who thrive here tend to be those pursuing careers in areas like Health Professions, Criminal Justice, or Precision Production. The college's supportive environment and focus on essential programs cater well to students looking to enter the workforce quickly or continue their education.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Hutchinson, Kansas, Hutchinson Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 49%.

Retention Rate
68%
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$5,612
Student–Faculty Ratio
17:1
Diversity Index
0.64
First-Gen Students
41%

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 Hutchinson Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Hutchinson Community College is $4,770, 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 $6,727. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,584 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,773 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$3,540
Out-of-State
$4,770
Avg Net Price
$6,727
Median Debt
$9,773
Pell Grant Rate
23%
Federal Loan Rate
12%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$5,584
Family Income $30K–$48K
$5,642
Family Income $48K–$75K
$7,156
Family Income $110K+
$12,772

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 Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Hutchinson Community College report median earnings of $43,470, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$36,892
8 Years
$39,693
10 Years
$43,470
Debt-to-Earnings
0.22x
Earning > $25K
58%

Earnings Trajectory

$36,892 6yr $39,693 8yr $43,470 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (297)
36%
100% (297)
36%
100% (297)
36%
100% (297)
36%

How Hutchinson Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation49%Earnings 10yr$43KNet Price$7KRetention68%Median Debt$10KPell Grant Rate23%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$7K$48-75K$13K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%10.4%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%9.0%MOBILITY0.93%

College ROI Calculator

Is Hutchinson Community College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Hutchinson Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $6,727/year ($26,908 total). Graduates earn $43,470 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,060,515 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,033,607 (39.4× your investment). The median debt is $9,773, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 49% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$26,908
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,060,515
Net Return
$1,033,607
ROI Multiple
39.4×
Cost Per Year
$6,727
Median Debt
$9,773
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
49%

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 Hutchinson Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Hutchinson Community College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.93%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 10.4% 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% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $67,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
0.93%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
9.0%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
10.4%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$91,981
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.37, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), 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.

Economic Connectedness
1.37
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.3%
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).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income
$47,029

Top Programs

The fields Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Hutchinson, Kansas, Hutchinson Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 49%.

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

Published tuition at Hutchinson Community College is $4,770, 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 $6,727. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,584 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,773 in federal student loans.

Is Hutchinson Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Hutchinson Community College report median earnings of $43,470, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Hutchinson Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Hutchinson Community College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.93%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 10.4% 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% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $67,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.37, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), 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.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Hutchinson 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.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys