10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$289,642at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Isothermal Community College
⌖ Spindale, NC · 8 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$289,642 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
Not availableModeled economic break-even
−130%Modeled 10-year ROI
$38,339Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Isothermal Community College
What does Isothermal Community College cost?
Isothermal Community College reports an average annual net price of $10,758 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Isothermal Community College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $38,339 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Isothermal Community College graduates have?
Median federal debt for completer borrowers is not reportable in the current record.
Is every degree at Isothermal Community College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 8 field-and-credential outcomes at Isothermal Community College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
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−$246,610
$8,000Annual price−$278,610
$11,000Current college-wide context−$290,610
$16,000Annual price−$310,610
$24,000Annual price−$342,610
$32,000Annual price−$374,610
$40,000Annual price−$406,610
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
- Certificates
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$10,758Average net price / year
$18,132Cost of attendance
Not availableMedian federal student debt · completer borrowers
Not availablePublished 10-year payment estimate
$38,339Median earnings · year 5 after completion
55.5%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
1,169Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
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
49% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
Borrower count not reportedMedian federal student debt
12% making progress in repayment after three yearsThree-year repayment progress
Lower income10%
Middle incomeNot reported
Higher incomeNot reported
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 only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$32,924Year 1
$40,215Year 4
$38,339Year 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$76,5322Precision Metal Working · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$46,3453Criminal Justice and Corrections · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$35,1824Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$34,9975Health and Medical Administrative Services · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$30,9956Business Administration, Management and Operations · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$29,2107Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$26,512Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
1Precision Metal WorkingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $46,345 reported-5%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree · $76,532 reported-5%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Health and Medical Administrative ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $30,995 reported-13%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $34,997 reported-21%vs same-degree national median$6,625federal debt5Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $26,512 reported-23%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Business Administration, Management and OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $29,210 reported-38%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal 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.
Asheville, NC
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
- Annual net price
- $11,602
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $38,973
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -127%
Bladen Community College
- Annual net price
- $9,551
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $38,869
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -128%
Brunswick Community College
- Annual net price
- $9,009
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $38,714
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -129%
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
- Annual net price
- $10,810
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $40,825
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -119%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $76,532 | Not available | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $46,345 | Not available | 21 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $35,182 | Not available | 11 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $34,997 | $6,625 | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $30,995 | Not available | 10 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $29,210 | Not available | 39 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $26,512 | Not available | 18 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $6,625 | 26 |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
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.