Head-to-head comparison
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota vs Atlantic Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Bradenton, FL
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota
- Net price / year
- $22,356
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,318
- 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 State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota comes closer — median earnings $40,318 against a $44,712 total, vs $38,560 at Atlantic Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota | Atlantic Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $22,356 | $10,414 |
| Total net cost | $44,712 | $41,656 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,318 | $38,560 |
| Median debt | $9,000 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$205,552 | -$237,656 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota or Atlantic Technical College?
Atlantic Technical College, at $10,414 a year after aid versus $22,356 — a gap of $11,942 a year, or $3,056 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 State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota or Atlantic Technical College graduates earn more?
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota graduates report a median $40,318 ten years after entry, $1,758 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 38% at State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota. 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.