Martin Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Martin Community College charges a net price of $2,676/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $10,704. Median earnings ten years after entry are $26,016, 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, Martin Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #114 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) | $2,676/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $10,704 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $26,016 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$22,344/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$457,584 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Martin Community College's own numbers. Net price $2,676 × 4 years = $10,704 total. Median earnings $26,016 fall $22,344 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 $10,704 bill in about 1.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Martin Community College students graduate?
39% finish their degree — 61% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $10,704 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $27,446 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Martin Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $2,676 net price runs $8,170 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $32,680 less across the full degree.