Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals College Scorecard official source

Affordable Alternatives to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing

Open-data reference.

We found 15 schools structurally similar to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing that cost less. 6 offer comparable or better earnings outcomes.

Your School

Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing

Parkersburg, West Virginia · Public

$2,248
Net Price
$40,547
Median Earnings (10yr)
75.0%
Acceptance Rate
N/A
150%-Time Completion

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Alternatives to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing

Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing posts an average net price of $2,248 after grants and scholarships, the IPEDS-derived figure used to anchor this alternatives search. We screened institutions in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for colleges that report a lower net price and share structural similarity with Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing across six dimensions – ownership sector, Carnegie classification, undergraduate enrollment, admission rate, former-student earnings, and completion rate. 15 institutions cleared a 40-percent similarity threshold.

The maximum possible savings across this list is $3,376, achieved by Oxnard College at -$1,128. Of greater interest to ROI-focused applicants: 6 of the 15 alternatives also report median 10-year earnings at or above Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing’s $40,547, meaning lower cost is not paired with lower earnings. The mean median-earnings figure across alternatives is $39,926.

The similarity scoring gives enrollment size, Carnegie classification, and ownership sector the highest weights as transparent structural matching choices. Admission and completion rates are secondary features, while net price determines which lower-cost matches appear. Net price is the average cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients; it describes that source cohort, not the aid a typical admitted student or any individual family will receive. It is more informative than sticker tuition for that cohort but is not a personalized quote.

Similar Schools That Cost Less

15
Alternatives Found
$3,376
Max Savings
6
Better Value Options
81%
Best Match
Top 5 alternatives by 10-yr earnings Horizontal bar chart of the top 5 items by value (USD). Top 5 alternatives by 10-yr earnings 1. Putnam Career and Technical $36k 2. Gordon Cooper Technology Cen $42k 3. Kirksville Area Technical Ce $41k 4. Manatee Technical College $38k 5. Fred W Eberle Technical Cent $43k Compared to Wood County Technical Center-PracticalNursing: $41k.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Institution-level earnings + cost-of-attendance file · Institution data retrieved July 2026 Institution earnings use federally aided entry cohorts and are not graduate-only; net price is the cohort average for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients.

A negative College Scorecard net price means the institution reported average grant and scholarship aid above its cost-of-attendance estimate for the covered first-time, full-time aid recipients. It is a cohort average, not a promise that every student is paid to attend.

School Net Price Savings Earnings (10yr) Graduation Similarity
Putnam Career and Technical Center
Eleanor, WV · Public
$1,975 -$273 $36,203 78.6% 81%
Gordon Cooper Technology Center
Shawnee, OK · Public Better Value
$1,680 -$568 $42,021 84.7% 75%
Kirksville Area Technical Center
Kirksville, MO · Public
$1,699 -$549 $40,517 86.1% 75%
Manatee Technical College
Bradenton, FL · Public
$1,808 -$440 $38,129 71.7% 72%
Fred W Eberle Technical Center
Buckhannon, WV · Public Better Value
$2,129 -$119 $43,364 98.7% 71%
Cape Coral Technical College
Cape Coral, FL · Public
$1,463 -$785 $36,080 84.8% 65%
Radford M Locklin Technical College
Milton, FL · Public
$987 -$1,261 $35,997 65.4% 65%
Illinois Valley Community College
Oglesby, IL · Public Better Value
$2,232 -$16 $40,810 43.3% 59%
Ralph R Willis Career and Technical Center
Stollings, WV · Public Better Value
-$767 -$3,015 $51,465 87.1% 57%
Macomb Community College
Warren, MI · Public Better Value
$1,618 -$630 $41,596 17.0% 57%
Oxnard College
Oxnard, CA · Public Better Value
-$1,128 -$3,376 $41,393 33.4% 57%
College of the Mainland
Texas City, TX · Public
$1,342 -$906 $39,639 29.8% 57%
Mercer County Technical Education Center
Princeton, WV · Public
$2,225 -$23 $33,511 80.8% 57%
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, CA · Public
$480 -$1,768 $39,092 35.7% 55%
New Mexico State University-Grants
Grants, NM · Public
$68 -$2,180 $39,067 25.3% 55%

How We Match Schools

Our similarity engine compares schools across six dimensions: institution type (Carnegie classification), ownership (public/private), enrollment size, admission selectivity, former-student earnings, and completion rates. Each dimension is weighted by its impact on student outcomes.

Only schools with a lower average net price than Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing are shown. Schools marked "Better Value" have comparable or higher median earnings at a lower cost.

Data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median values 10 years after enrollment, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records. Net price is the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students, as reported through IPEDS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are cheaper alternatives to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing?
We found 15 schools similar to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing that cost less. The closest match is Putnam Career and Technical Center with 81% similarity and a net price of $1,975.
What is the ROI of attending Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing?
Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing has an average net price of $2,248. Former students earn a median of $40,547 ten years after enrollment. The earnings-to-cost ratio is 18.0x.
Are there schools with better outcomes than Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing for less money?
Yes - 6 of 15 alternatives offer comparable or higher median earnings at a lower net price. Gordon Cooper Technology Center costs $1,680 (saving $568) with median earnings of $42,021.
What is the cheapest alternative to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing?
The most affordable similar school is Oxnard College at -$1,128, saving $3,376 compared to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing. It has a 57% similarity score.
How do alternative schools' earnings compare?
The 15 alternatives have an average median earnings of $39,926 compared to Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing's $40,547. While alternatives cost less, their average earnings are also lower. Individual results vary, check the comparison table above.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.