Public · La Crosse, Wisconsin

Western Technical College

Western Technical College is a public institution in La Crosse, Wisconsin. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$11,008
Avg net price / yr
$45,303
10-yr median earnings
36.4%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Western Technical College posts above-median former-student earnings.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 39%
former-student earnings, US
36.4%
150%-time completion
+10%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small Carnegie: Associate's
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Western Technical College profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Associate's Colleges: High Career & Technical-High Traditional"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

C
College Value Score
55/100
Western Technical College

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings C
$45,303
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B
$11,008
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
36.4%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt C+
$11,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B-
68.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention N/A
N/A
First-year students returning for year two
Western Technical College vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$45,303

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$11,008

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

36.4%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 36.4%

Less-than-four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Western Technical College vs peers

Western Technical College positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Western Technical College positioned by earn… Carnegie Classification: Associate's Associate's COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $35K $58K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $8K $22K Avg Net Price ($) Western Technical College (you are here): $45K earn · $11K net · 36% grad You are here - Western Technical … Northcentral Technical College: $45K earn · $10K net · 47% grad Northcentral Techn… University of Wisconsin-Parkside: $51K earn · $12K net · 40% grad University of Wisc… Blackhawk Technical College: $42K earn · $9K net · 32% grad Blackhawk Technica… Moraine Park Technical College: $44K earn · $9K net · 54% grad Moraine Park Techn… Mid-State Technical College: $42K earn · $11K net · 53% grad Mid-State Technica… University of Wisconsin-River Falls: $54K earn · $14K net · 59% grad Viterbo University: $56K earn · $21K net · 67% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Western Technical College ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Western Technical College: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$45,303 Top 39% higher than 61% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric Western Technical College National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $45,303 #1984 of 5103 61st
Average net price $11,008 #1317 of 5020 74th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 36.4% #3870 of 4858 20th
Undergraduate enrollment 3,183 #1043 of 5462 81st

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

3,183
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
36.4%
150%-time completion
$45,303
10-yr median earnings
-
First-year retention

How Western Technical College ranks in Wisconsin

State rank among 78 reporting Wisconsin colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Western Technical College State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $45,303 #40 of 78 49th
Average net price $11,008 #13 of 71 82nd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 36.4% #65 of 73 11th
Undergraduate enrollment 3,183 #21 of 78 73rd

Highest former-student earnings in Wisconsin

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Milwaukee School of Engineering$89,070$22,453
2Marquette University$78,257$31,487
3Bellin College$76,222$37,408
4University of Wisconsin-Madison$73,792$17,354
5University of Wisconsin-Platteville$61,760$16,032
6University of Wisconsin-La Crosse$60,378$16,210
7Edgewood University$59,728$26,113
8University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire$58,561$16,550
9Saint Norbert College$58,363$26,172
10University of Wisconsin-Stout$58,084$17,490
11Carroll University$58,009$15,193
12Carthage College$56,950$26,565
40Western Technical CollegeThis school$45,303$11,008

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Western Technical College

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Western Technical College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $4,820
Out-of-State Tuition $7,078
Average Net Price $11,008
32.2%
Pell Grant Rate
33.2%
Federal Loan Rate
$11,500
Median Debt
$122/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at Western Technical College rose +25.1% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $9,647 in 2013 to $12,069 in 2023, a rise of $2,422 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $9,6472014: $10,0422015: $10,2402016: $9,2922017: $9,7772018: $9,5232019: $10,0812020: $10,2792021: $10,7162022: $10,3192023: $12,069
2013 · $9,6472023 · $12,069

Over the same years, enrollment went -20.6% (4,327 → 3,434 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

53.6%
Female
38.9%
First Generation

Outcomes

$41,169
Median Earnings (6yr)
60.9%
Earning Over $25K
68.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 36.4%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $41,169
Median earnings 10 years after entry $45,303
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 60.9%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 68.6%
Median federal student debt At completion $11,500
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $122/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Associate's 19 461 $57,543 $82,460 $13,710
Certificate 16 623 $50,176 $62,743 $8,245

Top programs at Western Technical College by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians Associate's 25 $82,460 $11,000
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate's 32 $77,010 $11,033
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 100 $76,176 $15,150
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians Associate's 11 $63,116 -
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians Certificate 2 $62,743 $8,969
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) Certificate 14 $62,205 -
Criminal Justice and Corrections Associate's 24 $59,884 $13,750
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications Associate's 2 $56,759 -
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management Associate's 26 $56,274 -
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Certificate 112 $55,416 $5,935
Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate's 42 $55,382 $18,940
Precision Metal Working Certificate 53 $55,158 $5,916
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management Certificate 8 $53,672 $6,422
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Certificate 56 $53,475 $5,500
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Certificate 270 $53,291 $5,500

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Western Technical College?
Western Technical College is a public institution in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Undergraduate enrollment is 3,183 students.
How much do Western Technical College former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Western Technical College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $45,303 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $41,169.
How much does Western Technical College cost?
The average net price at Western Technical College is $11,008. In-state tuition is $4,820 and out-of-state tuition is $7,078. Median student debt at graduation is $11,500.
What is the graduation rate at Western Technical College?
Western Technical College has a 36.4% completion rate within 150% of normal program time at a less-than-four-year institution.
Is Western Technical College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Western Technical College is $11,500, while former students earn a median of $45,303 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 25% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 68.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $122.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Western Technical College

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.