TCAT Athens — ROI, Cost & Payback
TCAT Athens charges a net price of $12,758/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $51,032. Median earnings ten years after entry are $40,540, 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, TCAT Athens does not clear its cost — it ranks #42 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) | $12,758/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $51,032 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $40,540 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,820/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$207,432 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on TCAT Athens's own numbers. Net price $12,758 × 4 years = $51,032 total. Median earnings $40,540 fall $7,820 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 $51,032 bill in about 5.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of TCAT Athens students graduate?
95% finish their degree. Spread the $51,032 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $53,718 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is TCAT Athens expensive compared with other Tennessee colleges?
Its $12,758 net price runs $2,511 below the $15,269 median across the 91 Tennessee colleges we profile, and $10,044 less across the full degree.