Lurleen B Wallace Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Lurleen B Wallace Community College charges a net price of $2,792/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $5,584. Median earnings ten years after entry are $32,307, 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, Lurleen B Wallace Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #38 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) | $2,792/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $5,584 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $32,307 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$16,053/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$326,644 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Lurleen B Wallace Community College's own numbers. Net price $2,792 × 2 years = $5,584 total. Median earnings $32,307 fall $16,053 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 $5,584 bill in about 0.6 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Lurleen B Wallace Community College students graduate?
41% finish their degree — 59% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $5,584 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $13,620 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Lurleen B Wallace Community College expensive compared with other Alabama colleges?
Its $2,792 net price runs $11,777 below the $14,569 median across the 54 Alabama colleges we profile, and $23,553 less across the full degree.