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Is Portland Community College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Portland Community, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Portland Community sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $44,592 helps, but median debt of $12,999 plus yearly net price of $10,405 creates a tighter path. For context, Portland Community's net price runs about 21% above the typical 2-year, public school. 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
$9,131
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $1,576 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $6,000 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
$10,405
Median earnings 10 years out
$44,592
Median debt at graduation
$12,999
Graduation rate
18%
At Portland Community, a typical graduate carries about $12,999 in student debt and earns roughly $44,592 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $148 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 $2,792 more 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.
68% 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
Portland Community is a two year school in Portland, OR. 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
Columbia Gorge Community
The Dalles, OR
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,416
2-year
Clatsop Community
Astoria, OR
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,548
2-year
Rogue Community
Grants Pass, OR
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $11,042
2-year
Treasure Valley Community
Ontario, OR
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $11,172
2-year
College of Hair Design Careers
Salem, OR
Worth-It Score: 74/100
Median net price: $11,236
Common questions about Portland Community
The median net price at Portland Community is $10,405 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 Oregon? See the most affordable community colleges in Oregon →
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 →