10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$219,030at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Cape Fear Community College
⌖ Wilmington, NC · 8 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$219,030 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
—Modeled economic break-even
−100%Modeled 10-year ROI
$44,941Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$9,610Average net price / year
$14,740Cost of attendance
$44,941Median earnings · year 5 after completion
34.5%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
9,764Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$35,317Year 1
$48,346Year 4
$44,941Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$75,2522Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$60,9213Computer and Information Sciences, General · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$57,6504Criminal Justice and Corrections · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$55,0885Computer and Information Sciences, General · Associate's Degree$50,2446Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$42,0937Health and Medical Administrative Services · Associate's Degree$39,9408Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$28,983Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in NC
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Raleigh, NC
Wake Technical Community College
- Annual net price
- $8,759
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,883
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -96%
Catawba Valley Community College
- Annual net price
- $10,528
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,055
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -104%
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- Annual net price
- $10,260
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,705
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -92%
Forsyth Technical Community College
- Annual net price
- $7,200
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,959
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -100%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $75,252 | Not available |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $60,921 | Not available |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $57,650 | Not available |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $55,088 | $16,042 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $50,244 | Not available |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $42,093 | $8,734 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $39,940 | Not available |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $28,983 | Not available |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.