Is Danville Community College Worth It?

Danville Community College keeps your costs low, but the payoff depends almost entirely on what you study. The median graduate earns about $32,000 ten years out, which barely clears what many jobs pay without any credential at all. With debt around $9,000, you won't dig a deep hole, but the typical outcome here is modest.

The clear winners are hands-on technical and health programs. The nursing associate degree lands near $50,000, and the electrical and power transmission certificates hit close to $53,000 , the strongest returns on campus, and they come as certificates you can finish faster than a two-year degree. Precision metal working and allied health diagnostics also pay well above the school median. If you enroll here, these are the programs that turn a cheap credential into real income.

The risk is finishing at all. Only 38% of students graduate, so more than half leave without the credential that makes this math work. Walk away mid-program and you keep the debt without the earnings bump. The gap between the $32,000 median and the $50,000-plus technical programs tells you that picking the wrong field, or not finishing, drops you back toward earnings you could have gotten without enrolling.

On price, families earning under $48,000 pay roughly $6,000 a year , the lowest tiers on campus. Above $75,000, net price more than doubles to around $13,000-$14,000, so the deal is best for lower-income families.

This school fits you if you're targeting nursing, electrical, or metalworking and you'll finish. If you're unsure of your major or planning to transfer for a bachelor's later, the general earnings picture here is weak, and you'd want a concrete plan before enrolling.