South Texas College — ROI, Cost & Payback
South Texas College charges a net price of $1,751/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $3,502. Median earnings ten years after entry are $36,788, 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, South Texas College does not clear its cost — it ranks #125 of 213 Texas colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $1,751/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $3,502 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $36,788 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$11,572/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$234,942 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on South Texas College's own numbers. Net price $1,751 × 2 years = $3,502 total. Median earnings $36,788 fall $11,572 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 $3,502 bill in about 0.4 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of South Texas College students graduate?
27% finish their degree — 73% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $3,502 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $12,970 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is South Texas College expensive compared with other Texas colleges?
Its $1,751 net price runs $17,608 below the $19,359 median across the 213 Texas colleges we profile, and $35,216 less across the full degree.