Public Associate Strong 81/100

Wayne Community College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Goldsboro, North Carolina

About Wayne Community College

Thinking about Wayne Community College, a college in North Carolina where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Wayne Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It enrolls 2,739 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
25.1%
Net Price
$2,245
Median Earnings (10yr)
$34,148
Enrollment
2,739
Student : Faculty
12:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
81/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 56
Value 96
Affordability 74
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Wayne Community College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $2,245 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$2,245
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
37%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
0%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$2,566
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$8,710
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,350
Books & Supplies
$1,600
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,850
Total Cost of Attendance
$11,096

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $1,371
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $2,169
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $3,271
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $4,601
  • Over $110,000
    $7,179

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,750
10% percentile
$3,000
25% percentile
$6,500
Median percentile
$9,500
75% percentile
$15,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Dependent students $5,775 ↓ $725
Independent students $5,875 ↓ $625
Dependent students: 49.6% (3,222 students)Independent students: 50.4% (3,278 students)Overall Median$6,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, close to what completers borrow ($6,500) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

25% of students who start here finish within six years, and 68% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
25%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
68%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $34,148 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$34,148
Earning > $25K
58%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$31,500$32,500$33,500$34,500$35,5006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$27,200

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$36,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,100, about 25% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 21.1 pts across 6 years
50%1yr50.9%3yr47.1%5yr71.1%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 71% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,739 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 47% are the first in their family to go to college, and 76% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
2,739
Part-Time
76%
First-Generation
47%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 47.3% 1,295
Black 25.0% 685
Hispanic 23.1% 632
Other 2.6% 72
Asian 0.9% 24
International 0.7% 18
White: 47.3% (1,295 students)Black: 25.0% (685 students)Hispanic: 23.1% (632 students)Other: 2.6% (72 students)Asian: 0.9% (24 students)International: 0.7% (18 students)Total2,739

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Wayne Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Small City Goldsboro, North Carolina
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
33% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Wayne Community College offers a varied set of programs: 39 distinct programs across 12 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

1 Program
11 Programs
4 Programs
3 Programs
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,830
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$3.9M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$53,549
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

113 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
No Rank 113 100% $53,549

Pros & Cons of Wayne Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Wayne Community College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Open admissions
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Below-average post-graduation earnings
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Wayne Community College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wayne Community College

The questions families ask most about Wayne Community College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Wayne Community College hard to get into?
Not especially. Wayne Community College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Wayne Community College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Wayne Community College cost?
Budget around $2,245 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wayne Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $34,148 a year against a net price of $2,245, about 15.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Wayne Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Wayne Community College graduates earn?
About $34,148 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wayne Community College accredited?
Yes. Wayne Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Wayne Community College?
2,739 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Wayne Community College?
25% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Wayne Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Wayne Community College located?
Wayne Community College is located in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
What programs does Wayne Community College offer?
39 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Wayne Community College?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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