10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$168,096at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
University of North Carolina Wilmington
⌖ Wilmington, NC · 49 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$168,096 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.
28.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−65%Modeled 10-year ROI
$54,234Observed 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
$20,109Average net price / year
$26,547Cost of attendance
$54,234Median earnings · year 5 after completion
70.6%Completion rate
64.2%Admission rate
14,922Student 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
$44,355Year 1
$61,925Year 4
$54,234Year 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.
1Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$118,2892Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$106,6993Fine and Studio Arts · Master's Degree$99,6984Chemistry · Master's Degree$99,1065Educational Administration and Supervision · Doctoral Degree$89,8296Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$88,2197Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other · Bachelor's Degree$86,6548Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$86,606Observed 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.
Boone, NC
Appalachian State University
- Annual net price
- $16,836
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $51,728
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -73%
East Carolina University
- Annual net price
- $15,739
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,743
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -52%
Winston-Salem State University
- Annual net price
- $13,479
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,548
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -55%
Western Carolina University
- Annual net price
- $13,315
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $51,153
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -74%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $118,289 | Not available |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $106,699 | Not available |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's Degree | $99,698 | Not available |
| Chemistry | Master's Degree | $99,106 | Not available |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $89,829 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $88,219 | $24,819 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $86,654 | $24,990 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $86,606 | $22,000 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Master's Degree | $84,961 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $75,512 | $21,500 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $73,816 | Not available |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $72,403 | Not available |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $71,964 | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $66,941 | $21,946 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $65,982 | $19,935 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $61,981 | Not available |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $60,750 | $22,125 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $60,722 | $23,500 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $60,414 | $26,000 |
| Dispute Resolution | Master's Degree | $59,311 | Not available |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $59,108 | Not available |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $58,258 | $22,250 |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $56,340 | Not available |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $54,707 | $18,750 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $54,315 | $21,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Master's Degree | $53,362 | Not available |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's Degree | $52,494 | $19,500 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's Degree | $52,194 | Not available |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $51,696 | $21,500 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $50,564 | $22,899 |
| Criminology | Bachelor's Degree | $50,514 | $22,915 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | Bachelor's Degree | $50,241 | $23,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $50,098 | Not available |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,609 | $23,250 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $48,591 | $24,125 |
| History | Master's Degree | $48,402 | Not available |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $48,024 | $20,130 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $47,587 | $22,361 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $46,527 | $22,309 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $46,072 | $24,500 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $46,008 | $24,636 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $45,289 | $23,751 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $42,597 | Not available |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $42,192 | $26,672 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $39,812 | $20,389 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $37,968 | $27,000 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $35,956 | $25,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $34,184 | $22,052 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $33,461 | $24,112 |
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.