Head-to-head comparison
Angelina College vs Southwest University at El Paso: which has better ROI?
Option A Lufkin, TX
Angelina College
- Net price / year
- $7,773
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,301
- Payback
- No payback
Option B El Paso, TX
Southwest University at El Paso
- Net price / year
- $16,906
- Earnings, 10 years
- $29,648
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Angelina College comes closer — median earnings $37,301 against a $31,092 total, vs $29,648 at Southwest University at El Paso. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Angelina College | Southwest University at El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,773 | $16,906 |
| Total net cost | $31,092 | $33,812 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,301 | $29,648 |
| Median debt | — | $20,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$252,272 | -$408,052 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Angelina College or Southwest University at El Paso?
Angelina College, at $7,773 a year after aid versus $16,906 — a gap of $9,133 a year, or $2,720 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 Angelina College or Southwest University at El Paso graduates earn more?
Angelina College graduates report a median $37,301 ten years after entry, $7,653 more than the $29,648 at Southwest University at El Paso. 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?
59% of students finish at Southwest University at El Paso, against 29% at Angelina 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.