Central Carolina Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Central Carolina Community College charges a net price of $5,446/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $10,892. Median earnings ten years after entry are $33,525, 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, Central Carolina Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #85 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) | $5,446/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $10,892 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $33,525 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$14,835/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$307,592 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Central Carolina Community College's own numbers. Net price $5,446 × 2 years = $10,892 total. Median earnings $33,525 fall $14,835 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 $10,892 bill in about 1.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Central Carolina Community College students graduate?
43% finish their degree — 57% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $10,892 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $25,330 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Central Carolina Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $5,446 net price runs $5,400 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $10,800 less across the full degree.