HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Georgia vs Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology clears +$5.16M in 30-year net value, University of Georgia +$1.61M — both pay off, Georgia Institute of Technology by +$3.55M.

Two Georgia public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Georgia · Athens, GA

30-year net value
+$1.61M
Total cost of attendance
$89,704
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$57,962
Breaks even by age
40

Georgia Institute of Technology · Atlanta, GA

clears more

30-year net value
+$5.16M
Total cost of attendance
$98,096
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$96,288
Breaks even by age
27
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Georgia vs Georgia Institute of Technology: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/georgia-vs-georgia-tech

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Questions

Is University of Georgia or Georgia Institute of Technology a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, Georgia Institute of Technology clears +$5.16M and University of Georgia +$1.61M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Georgia Institute of Technology comes out ahead by +$3.55M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Georgia Institute of Technology pay off than University of Georgia?
About +$3.55M over a 30-year horizon (+$5.16M vs +$1.61M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Georgia?
+$1.61M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $89,704, median earnings ten years out $57,962, breaking even around age 40. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.