Western Piedmont Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Morganton, North Carolina. It enrolls 1,339 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
78/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes66
Value71
Affordability70
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Western Piedmont Community College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Western Piedmont Community College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $6,448 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$6,448
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
45%
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)
$2,650
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$8,794
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,370
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,308
Total Cost of Attendance
$16,642
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
$4,471
$30,001 – $48,000
$6,147
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,386
$75,001 – $110,000
$13,421
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.
$1,63010%percentile
$2,32725%percentile
$5,75075%percentile
$8,75090%percentile
What this means:
Aid reaches a meaningful share of the student body: 45% of students receive Pell grants. If your family qualifies for Pell, the real cost to you could be substantially lower than the average.
Graduation Rate & Retention
24% of full-time students who enrolled at Western Piedmont Community College graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
24%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
75%
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
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Western Piedmont Community College earn a median of $34,195 ten years after first enrolling. That's below the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$34,195
Earning > $25K
56%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$25,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$30,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
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 ↑
29.1 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 69% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Western Piedmont Community College is home to 1,339 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 46% are first-generation college students, 68% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
1,339
Part-Time
68%
First-Generation
46%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 70.1%939
Hispanic 14.9%199
Asian 7.2%97
Black 6.1%81
Other 1.0%14
International 0.3%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Western Piedmont Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Small CityMorganton, North Carolina
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
24%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Western Piedmont Community College offers
a varied set of programs:
29 distinct programs across
14 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Western Piedmont Community College is 11:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,069
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$4.0M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$55,224
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
64 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
64
100%
$55,224
Pros & Cons of Western Piedmont Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Western Piedmont Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Western Piedmont 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 Western Piedmont Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Western Piedmont Community College.
Is Western Piedmont Community College hard to get into?
Western Piedmont Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Piedmont Community College?
Western Piedmont Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Western Piedmont Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Western Piedmont Community College is $6,448 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Western Piedmont Community College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $34,195 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $6,448 per year. That's roughly 5.3x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Western Piedmont Community College known for?
Western Piedmont Community College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Cosmetology, Nursing. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Western Piedmont Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Western Piedmont Community College are $34,195, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Western Piedmont Community College accredited?
Yes. Western Piedmont Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Western Piedmont Community College?
Western Piedmont Community College enrolls 1,339 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Western Piedmont Community College?
Western Piedmont Community College graduates 24% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Western Piedmont Community College a public or private college?
Western Piedmont Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Western Piedmont Community College located?
Western Piedmont Community College is located in Morganton, North Carolina.
What programs does Western Piedmont Community College offer?
Western Piedmont Community College offers 29 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Cosmetology, Nursing.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Western Piedmont Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Western Piedmont Community College is 11:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in North Carolina
Other colleges in North Carolina share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
