Carteret Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Carteret Community College charges a net price of $10,764/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $43,056. Median earnings ten years after entry are $33,357, 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, Carteret Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #98 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) | $10,764/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $43,056 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $33,357 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$15,003/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$343,116 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Carteret Community College's own numbers. Net price $10,764 × 4 years = $43,056 total. Median earnings $33,357 fall $15,003 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 $43,056 bill in about 4.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Carteret Community College students graduate?
49% finish their degree — 51% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $43,056 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $87,869 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Carteret Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $10,764 net price runs $82 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $328 less across the full degree.