West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Paducah, Kentucky · Also known as WKCTC · Website
$34,891
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$34,891
median earnings, 10 years after starting
West Kentucky Community and Technical College is a public 2-year college in Paducah, Kentucky with 2,851 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $5,353 a year (tuition and fees $4,728 in-state, $6,432 out-of-state). 50% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $34,891 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $8,986 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$5,353
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$4,728
Out-of-state $6,432
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
50%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$8,986
About $95 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$34,891
Rank 3,469 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $5,353
- Tuition in-state
- $4,728
- Tuition out-of-state
- $6,432
- Cost of attendance
- $14,084
- Students with a need-based grant
- 33%
- Students with federal loans
- 9.4%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $4,345
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $4,561
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $6,414
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $9,291
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $12,695
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,624 in 2015-16 to $4,728 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 2,851
- Part-time students
- 46%
- Women
- 68%
- Students per teacher
- 18
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Retention rate
- 71%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 50
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 3,469 of 5,094 US colleges and 41 of 70 in Kentucky (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | KY median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $5,353 | $16,512 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $4,728 | $11,652 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 81% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 50% | 53% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 71% | 69% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $8,986 | $13,521 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $29,823 | $31,816 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $34,891 | $36,235 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 34% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 49% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
50 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 328 | $6,025 | $31,020 | $35,321 | $56,073 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 295 | $5,625 | $35,603 | $58,512 | $48,702 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 266 | $7,620 | $26,590 | $38,835 | $44,125 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 265 | $10,295 | $28,653 | $36,252 | $47,440 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersCertificate | Certificate | 133 | Withheld | $31,942 | $74,094 | $53,078 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 124 | $11,000 | $26,535 | Withheld | $35,447 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 123 | $6,529 | $36,332 | $51,632 | $50,984 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 90 | Withheld | $35,929 | Withheld | $51,586 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 87 | $7,000 | $18,132 | $29,518 | $31,135 |
| CarpentersCertificate | Certificate | 82 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 74 | $9,999 | $26,607 | $33,123 | $32,681 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 60 | $11,068 | $58,951 | $69,850 | $80,813 |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 52 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,199 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Certificate | Certificate | 43 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,148 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherAssociate's | Associate's | 41 | $8,000 | $39,918 | $57,596 | $50,491 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 40 | $10,412 | $27,734 | $47,849 | $48,733 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $30,572 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,675 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 34 | $9,618 | $46,895 | $47,983 | $65,389 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,359 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 27 | Withheld | $14,110 | Withheld | $26,307 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,584 |
| Graphic CommunicationsCertificate | Certificate | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $32,130 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | $27,930 | Withheld | $70,808 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 19 | $7,194 | $30,159 | $38,499 | $51,180 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Paducah and Kentucky on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Kentucky
- Homes: Homes for sale in Kentucky
Questions and answers
How much does West Kentucky Community and Technical College cost?
$5,353 a year is the average net price at West Kentucky Community and Technical College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $4,728 for in-state students and $6,432 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $14,084. Families earning under $30,000 pay $4,345 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at West Kentucky Community and Technical College?
West Kentucky Community and Technical College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do West Kentucky Community and Technical College graduates earn?
$34,891 a year is the median pay of former West Kentucky Community and Technical College students who work, 10 years after they started ($29,823 after 6 years). That ranks 3,469 of 5,094 US colleges and 41 of 70 in Kentucky. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $58,951.
How much student debt do West Kentucky Community and Technical College graduates have?
$8,986 is the median federal student loan debt of West Kentucky Community and Technical College graduates, about $95 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 9.4% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at West Kentucky Community and Technical College?
50% of first-time, full-time students at West Kentucky Community and Technical College finish within 3 years. 71% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at West Kentucky Community and Technical College?
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (328 certificate graduates), Precision Metal Working (295 certificate graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (266 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 50 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.