Head-to-head comparison
Elizabethtown College vs Waynesburg University: which has better ROI?
Option A Elizabethtown, PA
Elizabethtown College
- Net price / year
- $26,598
- Earnings, 10 years
- $62,399
- Payback
- 7.6 yrs
Option B Waynesburg, PA
Waynesburg University
- Net price / year
- $18,235
- Earnings, 10 years
- $58,537
- Payback
- 7.2 yrs
Waynesburg University has the better ROI: it clears its 4-year net cost of $72,940 in 7.2 years versus 7.6 years at Elizabethtown College, on median earnings of $58,537 vs $62,399 ten years out. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Elizabethtown College | Waynesburg University |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $26,598 | $18,235 |
| Total net cost | $106,392 | $72,940 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $62,399 | $58,537 |
| Median debt | $27,000 | $27,000 |
| Payback | 7.6 yrs | 7.2 yrs |
| 20-year net return | $174,388 | $130,600 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Elizabethtown College or Waynesburg University?
Waynesburg University, at $18,235 a year after aid versus $26,598 — a gap of $8,363 a year, or $33,452 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 Elizabethtown College or Waynesburg University graduates earn more?
Elizabethtown College graduates report a median $62,399 ten years after entry, $3,862 more than the $58,537 at Waynesburg University. 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 leaves students with less debt, Elizabethtown College or Waynesburg University?
Completers at both borrow a median $27,000, so neither school has the debt advantage. That figure covers federal loans of students who finished — borrowers who leave early are not counted, and private loans sit outside it.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
76% of students finish at Elizabethtown College, against 66% at Waynesburg University. 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.