Head-to-head comparison
Albany Technical College vs Coastal Pines Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Albany, GA
Albany Technical College
- Net price / year
- $4,524
- Earnings, 10 years
- $30,541
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Waycross, GA
Coastal Pines Technical College
- Net price / year
- -$126
- Earnings, 10 years
- $30,214
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Coastal Pines Technical College comes closer — median earnings $30,214 against a -$504 total, vs $30,541 at Albany Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Albany Technical College | Coastal Pines Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $4,524 | -$126 |
| Total net cost | $18,096 | -$504 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $30,541 | $30,214 |
| Median debt | $12,412 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$374,476 | -$362,416 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Albany Technical College or Coastal Pines Technical College?
Coastal Pines Technical College, at -$126 a year after aid versus $4,524 — a gap of $4,650 a year, or $18,600 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Albany Technical College or Coastal Pines Technical College graduates earn more?
Albany Technical College graduates report a median $30,541 ten years after entry, $327 more than the $30,214 at Coastal Pines Technical College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
48% of students finish at Coastal Pines Technical College, against 42% at Albany Technical College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.