10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$222,140at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR · 47 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 44 · Federal debt reported for 32
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$222,140 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
238.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−96%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,974Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $16,526 housing and food allowance plus $5,509 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$170,260
$8,000Annual price−$202,260
$13,000Current college-wide context−$222,260
$16,000Annual price−$234,260
$24,000Annual price−$266,260
$32,000Annual price−$298,260
$40,000Annual price−$330,260
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Certificates
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
3,083 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Arkansas run 13% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$12,970Average net price / year
$22,808Cost of attendance
$21,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$223/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$45,974Median earnings · year 5 after completion
48.6%Completion rate
95.9%Admission rate
1,049Average SAT score
5,388Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Arkansas Tech University
What does Arkansas Tech University cost?
Arkansas Tech University reports an average annual net price of $12,970 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Arkansas Tech University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $45,974 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Arkansas Tech University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Arkansas Tech University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 47 field-and-degree records for Arkansas Tech University; 44 report year-4 earnings and 32 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
10,113Students enrolled at any point
9,315Undergraduate students
798Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
49% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
538 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
55% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$37,465Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$44,946Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$50,692Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income46%
Middle income65%
Higher income73%
Undergraduate student composition
White72%
Black6%
Hispanic12%
Asian2%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$40,548Year 1
$49,759Year 4
$45,974Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Educational Administration and Supervision · Doctoral Degree$101,1562Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$89,9513Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician · Associate's Degree$85,5434Mechanical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$85,5095Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$84,7196Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$74,1787Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$70,5888Educational Administration and Supervision · Master's Degree$66,101Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Business Administration, Management and OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $52,624 reported+11%vs same-degree national median$29,535federal debt2Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree · $48,859 reported+5%vs same-degree national median$25,570federal debt3Educational Administration and SupervisionDoctoral Degree · $101,156 reported+1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $44,342 reported+0%vs same-degree national median$24,100federal debt5Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's Degree · $44,868 reported-1%vs same-degree national median$20,500federal debt6Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementBachelor's Degree · $49,034 reported-3%vs same-degree national median$23,726federal debt
Comparable colleges in AR
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Monticello, AR
University of Arkansas at Monticello
- Annual net price
- $14,287
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,273
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -99%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
- Annual net price
- $10,574
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,861
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -96%
Arkansas State University
- Annual net price
- $12,366
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,159
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -82%
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
- Annual net price
- $14,027
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,919
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -83%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 47 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $101,156 | Not available | 8 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $89,951 | $17,100 | Not reported |
| Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician | Associate's Degree | $85,543 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $85,509 | $22,970 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $84,719 | $23,424 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $74,178 | $29,995 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $70,588 | $19,975 | 64 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $66,101 | Not available | 8 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $62,571 | $18,291 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $60,759 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $60,515 | Not available | Not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Associate's Degree | $60,353 | $23,983 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $58,493 | $15,620 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $56,643 | $21,780 | 37 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Master's Degree | $54,368 | Not available | Not reported |
| Homeland Security | Bachelor's Degree | $53,142 | $25,355 | 4 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $52,624 | $29,535 | 247 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $51,122 | Not available | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $51,021 | Not available | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $50,255 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,840 | $16,640 | Not reported |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | Master's Degree | $49,760 | Not available | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $49,039 | Not available | Not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | Bachelor's Degree | $49,034 | $23,726 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $48,859 | $25,570 | Not reported |
| Education, Other | Master's Degree | $48,047 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $46,907 | $24,000 | 2 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $46,018 | $34,046 | 8 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $45,385 | $24,500 | Not reported |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $44,868 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $44,342 | $24,100 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $43,978 | $24,351 | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $43,436 | $24,000 | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Bachelor's Degree | $42,985 | Not available | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $42,344 | $23,180 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $41,954 | Not available | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $41,946 | $23,890 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $41,065 | Not available | 0 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $39,348 | $20,860 | Not reported |
| Journalism | Bachelor's Degree | $39,173 | $23,250 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every Arkansas Tech University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.