Brunswick Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Brunswick Community College charges a net price of $9,009/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $18,018. Median earnings ten years after entry are $36,668, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Brunswick Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #57 of 115 North Carolina colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $9,009/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $18,018 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $36,668 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$11,692/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$251,858 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Brunswick Community College's own numbers. Net price $9,009 × 2 years = $18,018 total. Median earnings $36,668 fall $11,692 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $18,018 bill in about 1.8 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Brunswick Community College students graduate?
40% finish their degree — 60% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $18,018 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $45,045 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Brunswick Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $9,009 net price runs $1,837 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $3,674 less across the full degree.