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Is Central Alabama Community College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Central Alabama Community, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Central Alabama Community sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $33,506 helps, but median debt of $9,766 plus yearly net price of $15,996 creates a tighter path. For context, Central Alabama Community's net price sits about 84% above the typical 2-year, public school and near the top of its sector range. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$13,873
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $6,318 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $25,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$15,996
Median earnings 10 years out
$33,506
Median debt at graduation
$9,766
Graduation rate
28%
At Central Alabama Community, a typical graduate carries about $9,766 in student debt and earns roughly $33,506 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $111 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $8,294 less than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
57% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Central Alabama Community is a two year school in Alexander City, AL. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Paul Mitchell the School-Birmingham
Hoover, AL
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $18,104
2-year
Blue Cliff Career
Mobile, AL
Worth-It Score: 70/100
Median net price: $14,275
2-year
Fortis College-Dothan
Dothan, AL
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $18,730
2-year
Fortis
Mobile, AL
Worth-It Score: 55/100
Median net price: $19,074
2-year
Coastal Alabama Community
Bay Minette, AL
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $13,644
Common questions about Central Alabama Community
The median net price at Central Alabama Community is $15,996 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in Alabama? See the most affordable community colleges in Alabama →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →