College ROI

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Wayne Community College

Goldsboro, NC 2,739 Undergrads 39.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$11,096
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$2,245
After Aid
Median Earnings
$45,147
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$2,245
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$45,147
Peer Midpoint: $50,128
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+32%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$34,148
Peer Midpoint: $40,451
Graduation Rate39.8%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age25.2
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients53.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time23.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS53.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 2 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$484k
-$31k
-$32
Median Cost$2k/yr
+$480k
-$35k
-$4k
Full Cost$11k/yr
+$464k
-$52k
-$20k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$2k/yr
Never
-101%
Full Cost$11k/yr
Never
-100%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-56%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-35%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,622
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,930
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,010
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,156
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,756
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,956
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,009
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,169
Natl Median: $33,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,502
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Forestry
CertCIP: 0305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,345
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,592
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,148
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
CertCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,995
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,024
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,464
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,485
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$23,743
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,059
Natl Median: $51,586
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,395
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,825
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,618
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,883
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,608
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,307
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$20,225
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$263k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,046
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Forestry
AssocCIP: 0305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,725
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,956
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,057
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,734
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,708
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$283k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,227
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$262k
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,586
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.