ATA College — ROI, Cost & Payback
ATA College charges a net price of $28,611/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $57,222. 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 College does not clear its cost — it ranks #43 of 51 Kentucky colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $28,611/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $57,222 | 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 | -$332,882 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on ATA College's own numbers. Net price $28,611 × 2 years = $57,222 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 $57,222 bill in about 5.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do ATA College 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 College students graduate?
46% finish their degree — 54% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $57,222 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $124,396 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is ATA College expensive compared with other Kentucky colleges?
Its $28,611 net price runs $14,504 above the $14,107 median across the 51 Kentucky colleges we profile, or $29,008 more across the full degree.