10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$206,206at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Wake Technical Community College
⌖ Raleigh, NC · 44 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$206,206 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.
243.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
−96%Modeled 10-year ROI
$45,883Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Wake Technical Community College
What does Wake Technical Community College cost?
Wake Technical Community College reports an average annual net price of $8,759 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Wake Technical Community College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $45,883 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Wake Technical Community College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $12,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Wake Technical Community College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 44 field-and-credential outcomes at Wake Technical 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−$171,170
$8,000Current college-wide context−$203,170
$9,000Current college-wide context−$207,170
$16,000Annual price−$235,170
$24,000Annual price−$267,170
$32,000Annual price−$299,170
$40,000Annual price−$331,170
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
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$8,759Average net price / year
$15,953Cost of attendance
$12,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$127/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$45,883Median earnings · year 5 after completion
33.0%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
19,675Student 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
30% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
65 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
29% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$38,619Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$46,819Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$45,839Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income25%
Middle income42%
Higher income51%
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
$38,942Year 1
$49,034Year 4
$45,883Year 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.
1Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$84,3692Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications · Associate's Degree$83,7153Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection · Associate's Degree$81,3194Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$80,4885Engineering, General · Associate's Degree$79,5756Computer and Information Sciences, General · Associate's Degree$74,2417Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$68,9398Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$68,457Observed 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.
1Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $68,939 reported+64%vs same-degree national median$12,000federal debt2Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsAssociate's Degree · $83,715 reported+52%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionAssociate's Degree · $81,319 reported+37%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $74,241 reported+37%vs same-degree national median$17,698federal debt5Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $34,789 reported+32%vs same-degree national median$7,693federal debt6Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $62,956 reported+31%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.
Wilmington, NC
Cape Fear Community College
- Annual net price
- $9,610
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,941
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -100%
Fayetteville State University
- Annual net price
- $7,892
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,162
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
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 | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $84,369 | $17,125 | 15 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Associate's Degree | $83,715 | Not available | Not reported |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | Associate's Degree | $81,319 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $80,488 | $24,750 | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Associate's Degree | $79,575 | $11,182 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $74,241 | $17,698 | Not reported |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $68,939 | $12,000 | 31 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $68,457 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $67,139 | $17,090 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $66,379 | $14,778 | 231 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Associate's Degree | $65,093 | Not available | Not reported |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) | Associate's Degree | $63,100 | Not available | Not reported |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $62,956 | Not available | 46 |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $62,938 | Not available | 13 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $61,060 | $21,581 | 5 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $55,780 | Not available | 23 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,531 | Not available | 75 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $53,082 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $52,259 | $20,953 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,858 | $16,592 | 54 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $50,907 | Not available | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $50,065 | $21,679 | 10 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $50,013 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $48,145 | $11,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $48,130 | $21,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $47,383 | $19,000 | 150 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,924 | $34,621 | 16 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,523 | Not available | 17 |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,469 | $6,500 | 27 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $43,416 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $42,708 | $19,000 | 83 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $42,564 | Not available | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's Degree | $41,986 | Not available | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $41,857 | $13,414 | 92 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $41,709 | $20,093 | 37 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $40,682 | $31,304 | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $38,003 | $20,783 | 1 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's Degree | $37,801 | $20,582 | Not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $37,695 | $13,226 | 28 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $37,233 | $21,549 | 62 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $36,571 | $18,602 | 35 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $36,257 | Not available | Not reported |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $34,789 | $7,693 | 20 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $9,500 | 54 |
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.