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Is ATA College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for ATA, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
ATA lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $28,611 in yearly net price and $21,030 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $34,577. For context, ATA's net price runs about 19% above the typical 2-year, private for-profit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 145 similar 2-year, private for-profit schools
This school
$26,483
/yrAverage school like this
$22,311
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $4,172 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $17,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is manageable, but it makes the aid offer matter a lot.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$28,611
Median earnings 10 years out
$34,577
Median debt at graduation
$21,030
Graduation rate
39%
At ATA, a typical graduate carries about $21,030 in student debt and earns roughly $34,577 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $239 per month, or 8% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $7,223 less than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
60% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
ATA is a two year school in Louisville, KY. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Beckfield College-Florence
Florence, KY
Worth-It Score: 48/100
Median net price: $28,133
2-year
Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville
Louisville, KY
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $29,401
2-year
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green
Bowling Green, KY
Worth-It Score: 40/100
Median net price: $26,577
2-year
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow
Glasgow, KY
Worth-It Score: 30/100
Median net price: $25,829
2-year
Sullivan
Louisville, KY
Worth-It Score: 61/100
Median net price: $25,532
Common questions about ATA
The median net price at ATA is $28,611 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →