Rockingham Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Rockingham Community College charges a net price of $2,060/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $4,120. Median earnings ten years after entry are $32,480, 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, Rockingham Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #91 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) | $2,060/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $4,120 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $32,480 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$15,880/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$321,720 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Rockingham Community College's own numbers. Net price $2,060 × 2 years = $4,120 total. Median earnings $32,480 fall $15,880 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 $4,120 bill in about 0.4 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Rockingham Community College students graduate?
35% finish their degree — 65% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $4,120 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $11,771 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Rockingham Community College expensive compared with other North Carolina colleges?
Its $2,060 net price runs $8,786 below the $10,846 median across the 115 North Carolina colleges we profile, and $17,572 less across the full degree.