Is San Juan College Worth It?

San Juan College keeps costs low, and that carries the financial case. At $4,526 a year with median debt under $10,000, you can finish here without the loan burden that sinks graduates elsewhere. The problem is the payoff: median earnings ten years out sit near $36,500, which is modest even for a two-year school, and the 31.5% graduation rate means most people who enroll don't finish.

The split between programs is stark. Nursing is the clear winner,registered nursing graduates earn nearly $27,000 a year more than the school-wide median, and even with slightly higher debt, that gap pays for itself fast. The technical associate tracks back it up: quality control and safety, dental support, electromechanical instrumentation, and medical assisting all clear $45,000. These feed the healthcare and energy jobs in the Farmington region directly. If you enroll here, aim for one of these five programs. Outside them, the numbers pull down toward that $36,500 median, and there's little data to suggest a strong return.

The main risk is completion. A degree you don't finish still costs you time and any loans you took, and two-thirds of students here don't graduate. Low tuition softens the damage but doesn't erase it.

The net price tiers reward lower-income families most: under $30,000 in family income, you pay about $3,800, and the jump to the $75,000-$110,000 bracket more than doubles that to roughly $9,500. If your family earns under $48,000, this is one of the cheaper paths to a nursing or technical credential you'll find.

Enroll if you're targeting nursing or a named technical track and can commit to finishing. If you're undecided on major, the earnings data doesn't make a strong case.