George C Wallace State Community College-Selma — ROI, Cost & Payback
George C Wallace State Community College-Selma charges a net price of $9,272/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $37,088. Median earnings ten years after entry are $31,598, 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, George C Wallace State Community College-Selma does not clear its cost — it ranks #45 of 54 Alabama colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $9,272/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $37,088 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $31,598 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$16,762/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$372,328 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on George C Wallace State Community College-Selma's own numbers. Net price $9,272 × 4 years = $37,088 total. Median earnings $31,598 fall $16,762 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 $37,088 bill in about 3.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of George C Wallace State Community College-Selma students graduate?
41% finish their degree — 59% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $37,088 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $90,459 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is George C Wallace State Community College-Selma expensive compared with other Alabama colleges?
Its $9,272 net price runs $5,297 below the $14,569 median across the 54 Alabama colleges we profile, and $21,186 less across the full degree.