10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$184,072at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Western Technical College
⌖ La Crosse, WI · 28 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$184,072 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
56.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−82%Modeled 10-year ROI
$48,996Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Western Technical College
What does Western Technical College cost?
Western Technical College reports an average annual net price of $11,008 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Western Technical College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $48,996 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Western Technical College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $11,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Western Technical College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 28 field-and-credential outcomes at Western Technical College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
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−$140,040
$8,000Annual price−$172,040
$11,000Current college-wide context−$184,040
$16,000Annual price−$204,040
$24,000Annual price−$236,040
$32,000Annual price−$268,040
$40,000Annual price−$300,040
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
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$11,008Average net price / year
$16,078Cost of attendance
$11,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$122/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$48,996Median earnings · year 5 after completion
34.1%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
3,183Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
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
50% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
53 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
47% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$41,309Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$47,788Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$48,737Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income38%
Middle income61%
Higher income67%
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 only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$43,102Year 1
$53,114Year 4
$48,996Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$82,4602Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$77,0103Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$76,1764Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$63,1165Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$62,7436Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$62,2057Criminal Justice and Corrections · Associate's Degree$59,8848Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications · Associate's Degree$56,759Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
1Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $62,205 reported+29%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree · $59,884 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$15,494federal debt3Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree · $53,218 reported+26%vs same-degree national median$13,500federal debt4Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $41,004 reported+22%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's Degree · $44,586 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$22,500federal debt6Culinary Arts and Related ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $36,635 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$7,410federal debt
Comparable colleges in WI
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Green Bay, WI
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
- Annual net price
- $9,918
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,089
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -81%
Northcentral Technical College
- Annual net price
- $10,303
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,116
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -86%
Fox Valley Technical College
- Annual net price
- $11,407
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,263
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -77%
University of Wisconsin-Superior
- Annual net price
- $12,220
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,048
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -87%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $82,460 | $11,000 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $77,010 | $17,485 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $76,176 | $19,937 | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $63,116 | Not available | Not reported |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $62,743 | $9,166 | 23 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $62,205 | Not available | 27 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $59,884 | $15,494 | Not reported |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Associate's Degree | $56,759 | $15,832 | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Associate's Degree | $56,274 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $55,416 | $12,917 | 74 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $55,382 | $19,532 | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $55,158 | $5,500 | 34 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,672 | $8,705 | 36 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,475 | $5,500 | 11 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,291 | $8,816 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $53,218 | $13,500 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $52,028 | $17,054 | 69 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Associate's Degree | $51,118 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $50,531 | $16,796 | Not reported |
| Carpenters | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,860 | Not available | 4 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $44,586 | $22,500 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $42,169 | Not available | 38 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $41,004 | Not available | 19 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $40,786 | $17,454 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,638 | $11,613 | 52 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's Degree | $38,303 | $12,057 | Not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $36,635 | $7,410 | Not reported |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $18,788 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
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.