Is Central Carolina Technical College Worth It?

Central Carolina Technical College gives you a low-cost path with one clear payoff and a lot of dead ends. At about $5,000 a year in net price and under $10,000 in median debt, the financial downside is small. But median earnings ten years out sit around $32,600, which barely clears entry-level pay, and only three in ten students finish. If you don't graduate, you're paying for a credential you never got.

Nursing is the reason to come here. The associate degree in Registered Nursing pays around $51,000, roughly $15,000 more than the next-best program and nearly double what the Data Processing associate returns. That single degree carries the whole school's ROI. Precision Metal Working and Practical Nursing certificates land in the high-$20,000s, which is decent for short, cheap programs given Sumter's manufacturing and healthcare demand. Data Processing at roughly $25,000 is a warning sign. you'd earn more with a certificate that takes less time.

The main risk is the completion rate. A 30% grad rate means the odds are against you finishing, and non-completers still carry debt without the earnings bump. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies pays about $36,000 but transfers nowhere on its own. treat it as a stepping stone to a four-year school, not an endpoint.

Net price barely moves across income levels. Families earning $48,000 to $75,000 pay the least at about $3,900, while those under $30,000 and those in the $75,000-$110,000 range both pay more, near $5,300. Low prices across the board mean cost isn't your barrier here. finishing is.

Come here if you want nursing or a hands-on trade certificate and you're committed to graduating. If you're chasing a general associate degree without a transfer plan, or a program like Data Processing, look elsewhere.