ATA Career Education — ROI, Cost & Payback
ATA Career Education charges a net price of $28,250/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $113,000. Median earnings ten years after entry are $34,577, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, ATA Career Education does not clear its cost — it ranks #129 of 166 Florida colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $28,250/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $113,000 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $34,577 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$13,783/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $21,030 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$388,660 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on ATA Career Education's own numbers. Net price $28,250 × 4 years = $113,000 total. Median earnings $34,577 fall $13,783 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $113,000 bill in about 11.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do ATA Career Education students graduate with?
A median $21,030 in federal loans among completers, or 61% of the $34,577 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of ATA Career Education students graduate?
67% finish their degree — 33% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $113,000 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $168,657 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is ATA Career Education expensive compared with other Florida colleges?
Its $28,250 net price runs $8,438 above the $19,812 median across the 166 Florida colleges we profile, or $33,752 more across the full degree.