Craven Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Craven Community College charges a net price of $3,289/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $6,578. Median earnings ten years after entry are $34,231, 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, Craven Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #71 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) | $3,289/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $6,578 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $34,231 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$14,129/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$289,158 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Craven Community College's own numbers. Net price $3,289 × 2 years = $6,578 total. Median earnings $34,231 fall $14,129 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 $6,578 bill in about 0.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Craven Community College students graduate?
48% finish their degree — 52% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $6,578 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $13,704 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Craven Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $3,289 net price runs $7,557 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $15,114 less across the full degree.