Public · 2-year

Walters State Community College

Morristown, Tennessee

DR Rating

DegreeReturn Rating — Strong value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Strong return

+$30,656 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 2 years.

Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.

2.6 yrs

Break-even

+285%

10-year ROI

$49,143

Median earnings as of 2024

49% of Walters State Community College students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$5,387

Average net price / yr as of 2024

$49,143

Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024

$37,119

Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024

—

Median debt at graduation as of 2024

—

Graduation rate as of 2024

49%

Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024

63%

Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024

—

Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$30,656

After 10 years

$72,086

After 20 years

$113,516

After 30 years

$154,946

After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender

Women

$31,737

Men

$44,808

29% gap between the two groups

By family-income background

From lower-income families

$34,427

From higher-income families

$45,106

24% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)

Dependent students

$37,123

Independent students

$37,038

Essentially no gap — the payoff is even

56%

First-generation students

Take federal student loans

98%

Born in the U.S.

Who studies here

White 81%Hispanic 11%Asian 1%Black 3%Other 4%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family income	Average net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k	$4,826
$30k–$48k	$5,087
$48k–$75k	$6,453
$75k–$110k	$7,763
$110k+	—

How Walters State Community College compares

This college against the Tennessee and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Walters State Community College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

Best-paying majors at Walters State Community College

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

Major	Credential	Earnings (5 yr)	Median debt	10-yr ROI	Verdict
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	Certificate	$65,319	—	+3,672%	Strong return
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	Certificate	$61,671	—	+2,995%	Strong return
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	Certificate	$54,855	—	+1,729%	Strong return
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	Certificate	$52,959	—	+1,377%	Strong return
Criminal Justice and Corrections	Certificate	$51,794	—	+1,161%	Strong return
Criminal Justice and Corrections	Certificate	$49,143	—	+669%	Strong return
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	Certificate	$47,206	—	+310%	Strong return
Education, General	Certificate	$37,893	—	-1,419%	Poor return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Certificate	$36,545	—	-1,670%	Poor return
Health and Medical Administrative Services	Certificate	$33,801	—	-2,179%	Poor return
Business Administration, Management and Operations	Certificate	$33,490	—	-2,237%	Poor return