Piedmont Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Piedmont Community College charges a net price of $1,095/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $4,380. Median earnings ten years after entry are $33,274, 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, Piedmont Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #81 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) | $1,095/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $4,380 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $33,274 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$15,086/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$306,100 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Piedmont Community College's own numbers. Net price $1,095 × 4 years = $4,380 total. Median earnings $33,274 fall $15,086 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 $4,380 bill in about 0.4 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Piedmont Community College students graduate?
20% finish their degree — 80% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $4,380 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $21,900 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Piedmont Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $1,095 net price runs $9,751 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $39,004 less across the full degree.