Is Lurleen B Wallace Community College Worth It?

Lurleen B Wallace Community College gives you a low-cost path to a middle-income career, with one program doing most of the heavy lifting. A degree here costs so little per year that even a modest salary bump pays it back fast. The catch is that the payoff depends almost entirely on which program you pick.

Nursing is the clear winner. The associate degree in registered nursing leads to earnings that nearly double the school's overall 10-year median, and it clears every other program on the list by more than $10,000. If you can get into and finish the nursing track, this school is one of the better financial deals you'll find at a two-year college. Electrical and electronics maintenance is a solid second, landing well above the typical graduate here.

The certificate programs tell a different story. Practical nursing and vehicle maintenance certificates land right around the school's median earnings, so you're paying for a credential that doesn't move your income much past the average for the whole campus. They still cost little, but the return is thin.

The main risk is the 43% graduation rate. Nursing programs are competitive and demanding, and if you enroll aiming for that payoff but don't finish, you've spent money without the credential that makes it worth it. Your low cost only pays off if you complete.

Cost stays under roughly $5,000 a year at every income level, and if your family earns under $30,000 you'll pay the least of anyone. That makes this a strong fit if you're local, budget-conscious, and set on nursing or the electrical trade. If you want a bachelor's-level career or a field outside these few programs, look at a four-year school instead.