Western Technical College
La Crosse, Wisconsin · Also known as Western Wisconsin Technical College · Website
$45,303
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$45,303
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Western Technical College is a public 2-year college in La Crosse, Wisconsin with 3,183 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $11,008 a year (tuition and fees $4,820 in-state, $7,078 out-of-state). 34% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $45,303 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $11,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$11,008
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$4,820
Out-of-state $7,078
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
34%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$11,500
About $122 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$45,303
Rank 1,984 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
- $11,008
- Tuition in-state
- $4,820
- Tuition out-of-state
- $7,078
- Cost of attendance
- $16,078
- Students with a need-based grant
- 32%
- Students with federal loans
- 33%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,483
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,083
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $10,581
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $13,786
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $15,430
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 $3,779 in 2015-16 to $4,820 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
- 3,183
- Part-time students
- 57%
- Women
- 54%
- Students per teacher
- 9
- Completion rate
- 34%
- Retention rate
- 45%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 80
- Endowment
- $8.28M
- 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 1,984 of 5,094 US colleges and 40 of 78 in Wisconsin (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $11,008 | $16,210 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $4,820 | $9,856 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 82% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 34% | 58% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 45% | 76% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $11,500 | $20,492 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $41,169 | $41,210 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $45,303 | $45,358 | $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. 50% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 71% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
80 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 | 236 | $5,500 | $27,571 | $53,291 | $56,073 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 133 | $13,750 | $41,118 | $52,028 | $47,440 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 93 | $5,935 | $50,704 | $55,416 | $57,584 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 87 | $15,150 | $64,274 | $76,176 | $80,813 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 52 | $18,940 | $40,548 | $55,382 | $48,733 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 44 | $5,916 | $40,624 | $55,158 | $48,702 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 43 | $17,454 | $25,442 | $40,786 | $40,734 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 38 | $5,500 | $36,011 | $53,475 | $51,586 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 31 | $9,208 | $36,437 | $39,638 | $34,272 |
| Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | $11,479 | $23,032 | $38,303 | $38,127 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | $13,750 | Withheld | $59,884 | $46,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 26 | Withheld | $59,276 | Withheld | $57,702 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | Withheld | $45,077 | $56,274 | $54,726 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | $11,033 | $55,465 | $77,010 | $65,389 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | $12,000 | $43,682 | $53,218 | $42,269 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | $13,980 | $42,732 | $50,531 | $47,660 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 23 | $11,000 | $60,488 | $82,460 | $73,046 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | $12,316 | $41,510 | $44,586 | $37,073 |
| Teaching Assistants/AidesAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,642 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | $63,116 | $55,195 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 14 | Withheld | $33,322 | $41,004 | $33,673 |
| CarpentersCertificate | Certificate | 13 | Withheld | $43,008 | $44,860 | $41,835 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of La Crosse and Wisconsin on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Wisconsin
- Homes: Homes for sale in Wisconsin
Questions and answers
How much does Western Technical College cost?
$11,008 a year is the average net price at Western Technical College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $4,820 for in-state students and $7,078 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $16,078. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,483 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Technical College?
Western Technical College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Western Technical College graduates earn?
$45,303 a year is the median pay of former Western Technical College students who work, 10 years after they started ($41,169 after 6 years). That ranks 1,984 of 5,094 US colleges and 40 of 78 in Wisconsin. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $64,274.
How much student debt do Western Technical College graduates have?
$11,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Western Technical College graduates, about $122 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 33% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Western Technical College?
34% of first-time, full-time students at Western Technical College finish within 3 years. 45% 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 Western Technical College?
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (236 certificate graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (133 certificate graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (93 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 80 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.