Head-to-head comparison
West Georgia Technical College vs Athens Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Waco, GA
West Georgia Technical College
- Net price / year
- $2,457
- Earnings, 10 years
- $35,479
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Athens, GA
Athens Technical College
- Net price / year
- $6,949
- Earnings, 10 years
- $35,951
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but West Georgia Technical College comes closer — median earnings $35,479 against a $9,828 total, vs $35,951 at Athens Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | West Georgia Technical College | Athens Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $2,457 | $6,949 |
| Total net cost | $9,828 | $27,796 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $35,479 | $35,951 |
| Median debt | $11,110 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$267,448 | -$275,976 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, West Georgia Technical College or Athens Technical College?
West Georgia Technical College, at $2,457 a year after aid versus $6,949 — a gap of $4,492 a year, or $17,968 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 West Georgia Technical College or Athens Technical College graduates earn more?
Athens Technical College graduates report a median $35,951 ten years after entry, $472 more than the $35,479 at West Georgia 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?
51% of students finish at Athens Technical College, against 35% at West Georgia Technical 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.