Is College of the Siskiyous Worth It?

College of the Siskiyous gives you a low-cost path with one clear payoff and a lot of uncertainty around it. At $7,241 a year with median debt of $10,750, you won't dig a deep hole. But the median graduate earns $39,098 ten years out, and only 30% of students finish. Those two numbers set the ceiling on what this school can do for you.

Nursing is the reason to be here. The registered nursing associate degree leads to about $68,858 a year, and vocational nursing lands close behind. Both come with roughly $10,500 in debt, so you're clearing well above the school's median earnings for a debt load you can pay off fast. If you can get into and finish a nursing program, the math works strongly in your favor.

Outside nursing, the picture is thin. No other program here posts earnings anywhere near those two, and the schoolwide median of $39,098 tells you most paths lead to modest pay. If you enroll without a plan to finish a specific high-earning credential, the 30% graduation rate is the real risk. Leaving with some debt and no degree is the worst outcome, and 70% of students don't cross the finish line.

Cost tracks family income sharply. Under $30k, you pay about $5,156 a year. over $110k, it's $14,448. For lower-income families the price is genuinely low, and the debt figures back that up. For higher-income families the sticker climbs enough that the payoff depends entirely on which program you pick.

This school fits you if you're aiming for nursing or using it as a cheap two-year start before transferring. If you're undecided and unlikely to finish, the low price won't save you from a weak return.