Pickens Technical College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Pickens Technical College charges a net price of $6,600/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $26,400. Median earnings ten years after entry are $39,210, 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, Pickens Technical College does not clear its cost — it ranks #30 of 50 Colorado colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $6,600/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $26,400 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $39,210 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$9,150/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$209,400 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Pickens Technical College's own numbers. Net price $6,600 × 4 years = $26,400 total. Median earnings $39,210 fall $9,150 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 $26,400 bill in about 2.6 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Pickens Technical College students graduate?
76% finish their degree. Spread the $26,400 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $34,737 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Pickens Technical College expensive compared with other Colorado colleges?
Its $6,600 net price runs $9,868 below the $16,468 median across the 50 Colorado colleges we profile, and $39,470 less across the full degree.