Columbia Basin College

Columbia Basin College is a public college in Pasco, Washington. It graduates 33% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $46,680 ten years after starting college, more than 37% of the Washington colleges we cover.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
Not reported

College Scorecard

What your family pays
$8,317 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $18,261. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
33%

Higher than 27% of Washington colleges we cover and 16% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$46,680

Higher than 37% of Washington colleges we cover and 31% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

CBC acceptance rate & admissions

Pell Grant recipients26%
First-generation students50%
Women / men63% / 37%

Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

CBC tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for Washington residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees, in-state$6,555
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$8,668
Housing & meals, on campus$10,450
Books & supplies$702
Total cost of attendance, in-state$18,261

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$7,506
Loan default rate6.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

CBC majors, earnings & careers

Columbia Basin College offers 7 bachelor's majors across 4 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Health & Medicine · 3
  • Technology & Computing · 2
  • Business & Finance · 1
  • Education · 1

Highest-earning majors at CBC

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Information Technology$81,742$18,618
Business Administration$77,260$12,500
Quick list of all 7 majors
  • Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
  • Business Administration$77,260
  • Computer and Information Sciences—
  • Dental Support Services and Allied Professions—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
  • Information Technology$81,742
  • Nursing—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Business Administration → Management analyst

$98,260
Kennewick
$109,170
Washington
$101,860
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Information Technology → Network / systems administrator

$97,500
Kennewick
$103,910
Washington
$99,130
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 4.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Kennewick

Cost of living
about the U.S. average for prices

Overall prices in the Kennewick-Richland, WA area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,230/mo

2 bedrooms $1,487. Housing costs 5% below the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
41° / 93°

January and July average highs. 8 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Low

No hazard rated high.

FEMA National Risk Index, Franklin County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)6,729
First-year students from Washington93%
Next most common home statesOregon, Idaho, Hawaii
AthleticsNWAC · 6 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2410% bachelor's · 68% associate · 21% certificates
Campus typePrimarily nonresidential
Student bodyHispanic 53% · White 31% · Two or more 4% · Asian 2%International 0%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Franklin County at a glance

Population98,902
Median household income$86,714
Adults with a bachelor's degree21%
Median age31

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare CBC with similar schools

Similar public colleges in Washington by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Columbia Basin College—$8,31733%$46,680This school
Spokane Community College—$5,47333%$41,984
Tacoma Community College—$8,37632%$47,168
Seattle Central College—$8,81932%$43,307
Clark College—$11,46539%$42,356

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Columbia Basin College would cost you $2,844 more per year than Spokane Community College, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Columbia Basin College.
  • Columbia Basin College gives aided families $1,578 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Washington residentCBCSpokane Community CollegeDifference
Sticker price$18,261$13,839+$4,422
Average grants−$9,944−$8,366−$1,578
You pay$8,317$5,473+$2,844

“+” means CBC costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about CBC

How much does Columbia Basin College cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $18,261 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $8,317 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,010 and families earning $110k+ pay $17,228.

How much do CBC graduates earn?

Former Columbia Basin College students earn a median $46,680 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the CBC graduation rate?

33% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years.

Is CBC the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing CBC with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Columbia Basin College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbia-basin-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).