Head-to-head comparison
Albany Technical College vs Paine 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 Augusta, GA
Paine College
- Net price / year
- $16,670
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,338
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Paine College comes closer — median earnings $33,338 against a $66,680 total, vs $30,541 at Albany Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Albany Technical College | Paine College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $4,524 | $16,670 |
| Total net cost | $18,096 | $66,680 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $30,541 | $33,338 |
| Median debt | $12,412 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$374,476 | -$367,120 |
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 Paine College?
Albany Technical College, at $4,524 a year after aid versus $16,670 — a gap of $12,146 a year, or $48,584 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 Paine College graduates earn more?
Paine College graduates report a median $33,338 ten years after entry, $2,797 more than the $30,541 at Albany 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?
42% of students finish at Albany Technical College, against 14% at Paine 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.