Roanoke-Chowan Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Roanoke-Chowan Community College charges a net price of $5,570/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $11,140. Median earnings ten years after entry are $29,324, 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, Roanoke-Chowan Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #109 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) | $5,570/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $11,140 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $29,324 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$19,036/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$391,860 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Roanoke-Chowan Community College's own numbers. Net price $5,570 × 2 years = $11,140 total. Median earnings $29,324 fall $19,036 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 $11,140 bill in about 1.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Roanoke-Chowan Community College students graduate?
37% finish their degree — 63% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $11,140 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $30,108 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Roanoke-Chowan Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $5,570 net price runs $5,276 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $10,552 less across the full degree.