Western Nevada College
Public Community College in Carson City, NV. Six-year graduation rate 41%. Median 10-year earnings $41,987.
Ten-year median earnings of $41,987 are on the low side, which raises the bar for what this degree needs to cost. 41% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Median debt at graduation is $10,500, a light load against those earnings.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.25 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Academics
41% graduate within six years — average, but that average still hides a large group who do not. At 15:1, students get materially more instructor contact than at a typical public university. As a public four-year university, the relevant comparison is other four-year schools rather than the national average across all institutions. 4,178 undergraduates makes this a mid-sized institution.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 2,045 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $14,929 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. Net price varies modestly by income — $11,678 at $0–30k against $13,645 at $110k+ — so the average is a fair guide for most families. About 60% get grants averaging $4,995, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. 6% borrow federally — a low rate, though it covers federal loans only.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 294 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,678 |
| $30–48k | $11,828 |
| $48–75k | $14,359 |
| $75–110k | $15,074 |
| $110k+ | $13,645 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 118 of these 2,045 students, totalling $798,997 — an average of $6,771 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Carson City) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)