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Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

Public Fennimore, WI · Rural · Great Lakes · 87% data
B- Value B- Affordability C+ Earnings
Graduation Rate
60% C
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$43,470 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$12,896 B-
25% less than the typical college
Enrollment
1,313
Earnings +7% vs avg
Graduation +5% vs avg
Net Price +-25% vs avg
Mobility Top 45%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 17.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $17.3 over 20 years.

17.3× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $17.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $841,617.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Every $1 invested returns $17.3 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Matters

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a public college in Fennimore, WI and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
1,313
Setting
Rural
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Construction Trades, Business & Marketing, Culinary & Personal Services

Why students choose Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 45% overall
C+
Earnings
$43,470 median
B-
Value
3.4× net price
B-
Affordability
$12,896/yr net
C
Graduation
60% graduate
C
Social Mobility
1.6% climb Q1→Q5
F
Diversity
0.24 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With an enrollment of 1,313 students, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a solid choice for those looking to dive into practical, career-focused programs. The college excels in areas like Health Professions, Construction Trades, Business & Marketing, Education, and Precision Production. If you're someone who prefers a hands-on approach to learning and wants to enter the workforce quickly with valuable skills, this might be the right place for you.

After graduation, students can expect to earn an average of $43,470 within ten years. This earning potential is especially significant given the college's commitment to affordability. With a net price of $12,896 after financial aid, many graduates find themselves in a stable position without being overwhelmed by debt. In fact, the median debt for students is only $7,500. This means that while many students start their careers, they do so with a manageable financial burden.

The bottom line is that this college is accessible and supportive for students who thrive in a practical learning environment. With 20% of students receiving Pell Grants, it’s clear that Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is committed to helping those who may need additional financial support. Those who tend to excel here are often those looking for a direct path to employment in fields that are both essential and rewarding.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Southwest Wisconsin Technical College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Fennimore, Wisconsin, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 60%.

Retention Rate
70%
Full-Time Faculty
51%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$8,362
Student–Faculty Ratio
16:1
Diversity Index
0.24
First-Gen Students
50%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Southwest Wisconsin Technical College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is $7,147, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $12,896. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,918 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,904
Out-of-State
$7,147
Avg Net Price
$12,896
Median Debt
$7,500
Pell Grant Rate
20%
Federal Loan Rate
23%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$9,918
Family Income $30K–$48K
$10,424
Family Income $48K–$75K
$12,468
Family Income $110K+
$16,662

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College report median earnings of $43,470, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$42,360
8 Years
$42,061
10 Years
$43,470
Debt-to-Earnings
0.17x
Earning > $25K
55%

Earnings Trajectory

$42,360 6yr $42,061 8yr $43,470 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (120)
47%
100% (120)
47%
100% (120)
47%
100% (120)
47%

How Southwest Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation60%Earnings 10yr$43KNet Price$13KRetention70%Median Debt$8KPell Grant Rate20%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$10K$0-30K$10K$30-48K$12K$48-75K$17K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%17.1%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%9.1%MOBILITY1.55%

College ROI Calculator

Is Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $12,896/year ($51,584 total). Graduates earn $43,470 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $893,201 in total earnings — a net gain of $841,617 (17.3× your investment). The median debt is $7,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 60% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$51,584
Projected 20yr Earnings
$893,201
Net Return
$841,617
ROI Multiple
17.3×
Cost Per Year
$12,896
Median Debt
$7,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
60%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.55%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 17.1% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $57,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.55%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
9.1%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
17.1%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$78,394
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Southwest Wisconsin Technical College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.36, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.36
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.03
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.2%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$4,856,496
Federal Grants
$610,167
Investment Income
$50,391

Top Programs

The fields Southwest Wisconsin Technical College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Southwest Wisconsin Technical College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Fennimore, Wisconsin, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 60%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Southwest Wisconsin Technical College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is $7,147, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $12,896. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,918 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,500 in federal student loans.

Is Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College report median earnings of $43,470, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.55%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 17.1% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 9.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $57,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Southwest Wisconsin Technical College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.36, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Southwest Wisconsin Technical College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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