Is John Wood Community College Worth It?

John Wood Community College keeps costs low and debt lower, and that combination carries the financial case here. You pay $6,596 a year and leave with a median debt of about $8,029, less than a single year's tuition at many four-year schools. Median earnings ten years out sit under $39,000, so the return works because you spent little to get there, not because the paydays are large.

Nursing is the clear winner. The associate nursing track pays around $54,192, roughly $19,000 more than the agricultural business degree and more than double what the practical nursing certificate returns. That gap matters because both are health credentials at the same school, and the shorter certificate leaves you near $21,500. If you enroll here for a paycheck, the associate nursing program is the one that pays back. Precision metal working, a certificate, lands near $32,925 and fits the Quincy-area manufacturing base.

The risks are specific. The associate nursing degree also carries the highest debt on the list at about $13,373, so the strong earnings come with the largest loan. The 45.9% graduation rate means fewer than half of you finish, and an unfinished credential still costs money without the salary that justifies it. The biological and physical sciences associate degree pays under $26,000 and mostly makes sense as a transfer step, not an endpoint.

This school fits you if you want a nursing or skilled-trade credential without borrowing much, or if you plan to transfer credits cheaply before a bachelor's. Look elsewhere if you need a four-year degree in a field this college doesn't train for. The net price barely moves for lower-income families, near $4,642 under $30k, while families over $110k pay closer to $12,913. Even at the top tier, the total cost stays modest.