Elizabethtown Community and Technical College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College charges a net price of $5,143/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $20,572. Median earnings ten years after entry are $36,143, 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, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College does not clear its cost — it ranks #32 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) | $5,143/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $20,572 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $36,143 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$12,217/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $9,055 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$264,912 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Elizabethtown Community and Technical College's own numbers. Net price $5,143 × 4 years = $20,572 total. Median earnings $36,143 fall $12,217 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 $20,572 bill in about 2.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Elizabethtown Community and Technical College students graduate with?
A median $9,055 in federal loans among completers, or 25% of the $36,143 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College students graduate?
59% finish their degree — 41% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $20,572 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $34,868 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Elizabethtown Community and Technical College expensive compared with other Kentucky colleges?
Its $5,143 net price runs $8,964 below the $14,107 median across the 51 Kentucky colleges we profile, and $35,856 less across the full degree.