The cost of college in Wyoming — and what it pays back
Across the 9 Wyoming institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $9,346/yr, $7,556 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $40,935 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 2 of the 9 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Wyoming's 9 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wyoming | $13,599 | $56,880 | 6.4 yrs |
| WyoTech | $36,726 | $50,167 | 81.3 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Wyoming College | $4,764 | $37,121 | no payback |
| Western Wyoming Community College | $6,591 | $40,939 | no payback |
| Laramie County Community College | $7,287 | $44,783 | no payback |
| Northwest College | $7,463 | $36,950 | no payback |
| Northern Wyoming Community College District | $9,346 | $40,477 | no payback |
How many Wyoming colleges actually pay for themselves?
2 of 9 — 22% of the Wyoming institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Wyoming graduates out-earn the national median?
Wyoming graduates report a median $40,935 ten years after entry, $2,614 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.