Is Durham Technical Community College Worth It?

Durham Tech runs on a low-cost, health-and-tech model where the payoff depends almost entirely on which associate program you finish. At roughly $1,183 a year, your out-of-pocket cost stays low, and the $14,750 median debt is modest for a two-year credential. The problem is the middle: overall median earnings sit near $36,000, which barely clears what many jobs pay without a degree.

The programs that pay are the licensed health tracks. Ophthalmic support and the nursing associate degree both clear $58,000, and nursing does it while carrying below-average debt near $13,000. Computer networking follows at just under $50,000. These are the reasons to enroll here. Below them, medical administrative services lands around $37,000, close to the school-wide median and a weak return once you factor in the time spent earning it.

The specific risk is the 36% graduation rate. Most of these salaries assume you finish and, for nursing, pass licensing. If you drop out partway, you carry debt with no credential to show for it, and Durham's low sticker price does not protect you from that outcome. The high-earning programs are also the hardest to complete and often have limited seats.

The net price tiers make this school nearly free at the bottom. Under $48,000 in family income, you pay a few hundred dollars a year, less than the under-$30k tier in some cases. Above $48,000, your cost jumps past $2,400 and then above $4,100, still cheap in absolute terms.

Durham Tech fits you if you plan to enter nursing, ophthalmic support, or IT networking and can finish the program. Look elsewhere if you want a general associate degree with no specific licensed career attached, because the median outcome here does not justify even this low a price.