Is Strayer University-North Carolina Worth It?

Strayer University-North Carolina is a financial gamble that pays off only if you finish and pick the right major, and most of you won't do the first part. The graduation rate sits below 17%, which means the typical outcome here is leaving with debt and no degree. That is the single biggest risk at this school, and it outweighs everything else.

The median debt of roughly $40,000 against median earnings of about $40,000 a decade out gives you a debt load equal to a full year of pay. That ratio is bad. For comparison, a manageable rule of thumb is keeping total debt under your expected annual salary, and here you land right at the ceiling before accounting for interest.

Your major decides whether the math works. Information Science and Computer and Information Sciences graduates clear $61,000 to $65,000, enough to service the debt and come out ahead. Business lands mid-pack near $50,000. Criminal Justice is the trap: you carry about $41,000 in debt for a $40,000 salary, the worst return on this list. Accounting is only slightly better. If you enroll for anything outside the two computing programs, the payoff shrinks fast.

Nearly 80% of you receive Pell Grants, so this school draws lower-income families who lean hard on aid and loans. Net price tiers matter more for you than for a wealthier crowd, because a higher out-of-pocket cost at the upper income bands turns a weak return negative. Check what you actually owe at your income level before committing.

This school fits you if you are set on a computing degree, confident you'll finish, and using Strayer's format because a traditional campus won't work with your schedule. If you're considering Criminal Justice or you're unsure you'll complete, a community college transfer path costs far less and protects you from the completion risk.