Head-to-head comparison
Santa Fe College vs Atlantic Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Gainesville, FL
Santa Fe College
- Net price / year
- $11,098
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,631
- 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 Santa Fe College comes closer — median earnings $41,631 against a $22,196 total, vs $38,560 at Atlantic Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Santa Fe College | Atlantic Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $11,098 | $10,414 |
| Total net cost | $22,196 | $41,656 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,631 | $38,560 |
| Median debt | $11,310 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$156,776 | -$237,656 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Santa Fe College or Atlantic Technical College?
Atlantic Technical College, at $10,414 a year after aid versus $11,098 — a gap of $684 a year, or $19,460 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 Santa Fe College or Atlantic Technical College graduates earn more?
Santa Fe College graduates report a median $41,631 ten years after entry, $3,071 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 53% at Santa Fe 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.