Head-to-head comparison
Palm Beach State College vs Atlantic Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Lake Worth, FL
Palm Beach State College
- Net price / year
- $9,182
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,923
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Coconut Creek, FL
Atlantic Technical College
- Net price / year
- $10,414
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,560
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Palm Beach State College comes closer — median earnings $41,923 against a $18,364 total, vs $38,560 at Atlantic Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Palm Beach State College | Atlantic Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $9,182 | $10,414 |
| Total net cost | $18,364 | $41,656 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,923 | $38,560 |
| Median debt | $7,081 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$147,104 | -$237,656 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Palm Beach State College or Atlantic Technical College?
Palm Beach State College, at $9,182 a year after aid versus $10,414 — a gap of $1,232 a year, or $23,292 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 Palm Beach State College or Atlantic Technical College graduates earn more?
Palm Beach State College graduates report a median $41,923 ten years after entry, $3,363 more than the $38,560 at Atlantic 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?
65% of students finish at Atlantic Technical College, against 41% at Palm Beach State 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.