Motlow State Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Motlow State Community College charges a net price of $15,742/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $31,484. Median earnings ten years after entry are $40,397, 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, Motlow State Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #40 of 91 Tennessee colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $15,742/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $31,484 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $40,397 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,963/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$190,744 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Motlow State Community College's own numbers. Net price $15,742 × 2 years = $31,484 total. Median earnings $40,397 fall $7,963 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 $31,484 bill in about 3.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Motlow State Community College students graduate?
34% finish their degree — 66% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $31,484 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $92,600 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Motlow State Community College expensive compared with other Tennessee colleges?
Its $15,742 net price runs $473 above the $15,269 median across the 91 Tennessee colleges we profile, or $946 more across the full degree.