Top 50 Best Associate Degree Programs in Wisconsin by ROI

Every Associate Degree program in Wisconsin ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in Wisconsin

264

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$91,939

Across all Wisconsin programs

Average Annual Cost

$17,568

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	Milwaukee Area Technical College Grad rate: 19.7%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$588,522	$73,147	$17,209	N/A	Full ROI →
2	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 48.2%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$446,494	$65,885	$15,603	N/A	Full ROI →
3	Waukesha County Technical College Grad rate: 46.8%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$443,388	$66,475	$14,281	$13,000	Full ROI →
4	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 48.2%	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$417,634	$64,442	$15,603	N/A	Full ROI →
5	Chippewa Valley Technical College Grad rate: 46.4%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$406,541	$64,951	$16,283	$14,750	Full ROI →
6	Fox Valley Technical College Grad rate: 55.2%	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$387,346	$62,932	$15,647	N/A	Full ROI →
7	Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 54.8%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$386,696	$62,863	$15,282	N/A	Full ROI →
8	Fox Valley Technical College Grad rate: 55.2%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$368,886	$62,009	$15,647	N/A	Full ROI →
9	Milwaukee Area Technical College Grad rate: 19.7%	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$368,602	$62,151	$17,209	N/A	Full ROI →
10	Gateway Technical College Grad rate: 45.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$329,362	$61,211	$14,604	$19,000	Full ROI →
11	Milwaukee Area Technical College Grad rate: 19.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$293,332	$60,210	$17,209	$27,000	Full ROI →
12	Herzing University-Madison Grad rate: 24.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$285,688	$61,080	$26,687	$31,509	Full ROI →
13	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Grad rate: 61.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$278,785	$60,421	$24,230	$30,500	Full ROI →
14	Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Grad rate: 20.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$261,061	$59,880	$25,392	$33,892	Full ROI →
15	Moraine Park Technical College Grad rate: 47.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$255,006	$57,309	$14,095	$17,025	Full ROI →
16	Chippewa Valley Technical College Grad rate: 46.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$236,400	$57,011	$16,283	$23,151	Full ROI →
17	Western Technical College Grad rate: 40.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$233,929	$56,597	$15,548	$19,937	Full ROI →
18	Waukesha County Technical College Grad rate: 46.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$233,918	$56,722	$14,281	$23,674	Full ROI →
19	Fox Valley Technical College Grad rate: 55.2%	Computer Programming.	+$233,339	$56,164	$15,647	$13,812	Full ROI →
20	Western Technical College Grad rate: 40.7%	Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$228,484	$54,979	$15,548	N/A	Full ROI →
21	Fox Valley Technical College Grad rate: 55.2%	Fire Protection.	+$224,506	$55,465	$15,647	$10,000	Full ROI →
22	Western Technical College Grad rate: 40.7%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$215,990	$55,423	$15,548	$15,832	Full ROI →
23	Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 54.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$203,361	$54,731	$15,282	$15,329	Full ROI →
24	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Grad rate: 61.0%	Computer Engineering.	+$203,072	$56,172	$24,230	$23,635	Full ROI →
25	Blackhawk Technical College Grad rate: 36.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$199,469	$55,088	$15,114	$23,750	Full ROI →
26	Lakeshore Technical College Grad rate: 45.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$197,819	$54,262	$14,163	$14,144	Full ROI →
27	Northcentral Technical College Grad rate: 47.5%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$194,259	$53,806	$15,897	$7,457	Full ROI →
28	Fox Valley Technical College Grad rate: 55.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$189,884	$54,300	$15,647	$18,386	Full ROI →
29	Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 54.8%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$186,016	$52,829	$15,282	N/A	Full ROI →
30	Chippewa Valley Technical College Grad rate: 46.4%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$184,994	$52,878	$16,283	N/A	Full ROI →
31	Northwood Technical College Grad rate: 55.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$183,624	$53,774	$14,116	$17,499	Full ROI →
32	Waukesha County Technical College Grad rate: 46.8%	Computer Programming.	+$181,438	$52,500	$14,281	N/A	Full ROI →
33	Waukesha County Technical College Grad rate: 46.8%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$178,118	$52,334	$14,281	N/A	Full ROI →
34	Waukesha County Technical College Grad rate: 46.8%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$177,648	$53,728	$14,281	$21,000	Full ROI →
35	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 48.2%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$174,359	$53,662	$15,603	$20,500	Full ROI →
36	Northcentral Technical College Grad rate: 47.5%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$173,686	$52,274	$15,897	N/A	Full ROI →
37	Western Technical College Grad rate: 40.7%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$171,914	$52,893	$15,548	$11,000	Full ROI →
38	Milwaukee Area Technical College Grad rate: 19.7%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$168,560	$53,704	$17,209	$23,038	Full ROI →
39	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 48.2%	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians.	+$163,654	$51,743	$15,603	N/A	Full ROI →
40	Chippewa Valley Technical College Grad rate: 46.4%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$162,710	$53,105	$16,283	$19,869	Full ROI →
41	Nicolet Area Technical College Grad rate: 47.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$161,322	$52,611	$14,084	$16,837	Full ROI →
42	Herzing University-Madison Grad rate: 24.4%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$160,226	$52,680	$26,687	N/A	Full ROI →
43	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 48.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$153,861	$52,460	$15,603	$17,876	Full ROI →
44	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 48.2%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$141,654	$50,643	$15,603	N/A	Full ROI →
45	Blackhawk Technical College Grad rate: 36.2%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$136,332	$50,328	$15,114	N/A	Full ROI →
46	Northcentral Technical College Grad rate: 47.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$134,043	$51,220	$15,897	$13,750	Full ROI →
47	Chippewa Valley Technical College Grad rate: 46.4%	Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$133,094	$50,283	$16,283	N/A	Full ROI →
48	Fox Valley Technical College Grad rate: 55.2%	Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies.	+$131,696	$50,892	$15,647	$11,000	Full ROI →
49	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Grad rate: 48.2%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$130,494	$50,085	$15,603	N/A	Full ROI →
50	Waukesha County Technical College Grad rate: 46.8%	Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$130,023	$50,908	$14,281	$14,500	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.