10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$185,090at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, NC · 33 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 33 · Federal debt reported for 8
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$185,090 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
233.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−96%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,829Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
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.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $11,239 housing and food allowance plus $5,530 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$171,710
$3,000Current college-wide context−$183,710
$8,000Annual price−$203,710
$16,000Annual price−$235,710
$24,000Annual price−$267,710
$32,000Annual price−$299,710
$40,000Annual price−$331,710
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Associate degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
5,100 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in North Carolina run 6% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$3,345Average net price / year
$10,546Cost of attendance
$7,925Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$84/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$45,829Median earnings · year 5 after completion
30.9%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
15,067Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Central Piedmont Community College
What does Central Piedmont Community College cost?
Central Piedmont Community College reports an average annual net price of $3,345 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Central Piedmont Community College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $45,829 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Central Piedmont Community College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $7,925. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Central Piedmont Community College worth the same?
No. The current release contains 33 field-and-degree records for Central Piedmont Community College; 33 report year-4 earnings and 8 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
28,850Students enrolled at any point
28,850Undergraduate students
Not availableGraduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
22% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
Borrower count not reportedMedian federal student debt
29% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$35,947Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$42,469Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$57,268Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income24%
Middle income41%
Higher income53%
Undergraduate student composition
White31%
Black30%
Hispanic21%
Asian4%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$37,962Year 1
$48,441Year 4
$45,829Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Engineering, General · Associate's Degree$76,3882Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$74,3793Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$74,0044Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection · Associate's Degree$71,4135Computer and Information Sciences, General · Associate's Degree$69,0946Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$62,2107Computer and Information Sciences, General · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$61,4128Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$60,072Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $69,094 reported+27%vs same-degree national median$10,456federal debt2Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's Degree · $47,967 reported+26%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Business Operations Support and Assistant ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $40,376 reported+24%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $61,412 reported+20%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionAssociate's Degree · $71,413 reported+20%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree · $50,210 reported+19%vs same-degree national median$17,512federal debt
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.
Wilson, NC
Wilson Community College
- Annual net price
- $3,064
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,221
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -104%
Nash Community College
- Annual net price
- $3,338
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $42,817
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -111%
Vance-Granville Community College
- Annual net price
- $3,286
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $41,363
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -119%
Johnston Community College
- Annual net price
- $1,776
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $42,753
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -112%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 33 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering, General | Associate's Degree | $76,388 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $74,379 | $16,125 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $74,004 | $16,422 | Not reported |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | Associate's Degree | $71,413 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $69,094 | $10,456 | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $62,210 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $61,412 | Not available | 111 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $60,072 | Not available | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $55,919 | Not available | 93 |
| Precision Metal Working | Associate's Degree | $53,400 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $50,210 | $17,512 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $48,147 | Not available | 5 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's Degree | $47,967 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $45,205 | $7,104 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $44,331 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $44,216 | $6,959 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,023 | Not available | 24 |
| Legal Support Services | Associate's Degree | $43,452 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $42,770 | $10,812 | 117 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $41,911 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $40,376 | Not available | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,989 | Not available | 26 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,933 | Not available | 117 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $38,809 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $38,741 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $38,607 | Not available | 88 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's Degree | $37,153 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $36,697 | Not available | 16 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $36,301 | Not available | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $35,809 | Not available | 63 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $34,705 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $33,718 | $9,500 | 58 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Associate's Degree | $26,550 | Not available | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
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.