Head-to-head comparison
Madisonville Community College vs Ashland Community and Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Madisonville, KY
Madisonville Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,406
- Earnings, 10 years
- $35,733
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Ashland, KY
Ashland Community and Technical College
- Net price / year
- $5,717
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,504
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Madisonville Community College comes closer — median earnings $35,733 against a $21,624 total, vs $34,504 at Ashland Community and Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Madisonville Community College | Ashland Community and Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,406 | $5,717 |
| Total net cost | $21,624 | $22,868 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $35,733 | $34,504 |
| Median debt | $8,450 | $10,950 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$274,164 | -$299,988 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Madisonville Community College or Ashland Community and Technical College?
Madisonville Community College, at $5,406 a year after aid versus $5,717 — a gap of $311 a year, or $1,244 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 Madisonville Community College or Ashland Community and Technical College graduates earn more?
Madisonville Community College graduates report a median $35,733 ten years after entry, $1,229 more than the $34,504 at Ashland Community and 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 leaves students with less debt, Madisonville Community College or Ashland Community and Technical College?
Madisonville Community College: its completers carry a median $8,450 in federal loans versus $10,950 at Ashland Community and Technical College, a difference of $2,500. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
51% of students finish at Ashland Community and Technical College, against 49% at Madisonville Community 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.