Gaston College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Gaston College charges a net price of $6,592/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $26,368. Median earnings ten years after entry are $35,386, 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, Gaston College does not clear its cost — it ranks #69 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) | $6,592/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $26,368 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $35,386 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$12,974/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$285,848 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Gaston College's own numbers. Net price $6,592 × 4 years = $26,368 total. Median earnings $35,386 fall $12,974 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 $26,368 bill in about 2.6 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Gaston College students graduate?
63% finish their degree — 37% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $26,368 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $41,854 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Gaston College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $6,592 net price runs $4,254 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $17,016 less across the full degree.