Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Asheville, North Carolina · Also known as A-B Tech · Website
$36,048
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$36,048
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is a public 2-year college in Asheville, North Carolina with 5,110 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $11,602 a year (tuition and fees $2,882 in-state, $9,026 out-of-state). 40% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $36,048 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $15,528 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$11,602
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$2,882
Out-of-state $9,026
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
40%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$15,528
About $165 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$36,048
Rank 3,336 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $11,602
- Tuition in-state
- $2,882
- Tuition out-of-state
- $9,026
- Cost of attendance
- $16,061
- Students with a need-based grant
- 36%
- Students with federal loans
- 3.0%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,491
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,720
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,862
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $11,877
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $12,786
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $2,419 in 2015-16 to $2,882 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 5,110
- Part-time students
- 80%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 40%
- Retention rate
- 59%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 86
- Endowment
- $7.91M
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 3,336 of 5,094 US colleges and 74 of 147 in North Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $11,602 | $14,086 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $2,882 | $6,906 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 75% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 40% | 48% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 59% | 72% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $15,528 | $20,000 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $32,630 | $31,569 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $36,048 | $36,048 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 34% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 55% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
86 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 292 | $15,638 | $29,456 | $39,097 | $44,125 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 78 | $18,176 | $63,410 | $67,599 | $80,813 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 73 | Withheld | Withheld | $47,118 | $57,702 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 65 | Withheld | $37,714 | $54,737 | $51,586 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 58 | Withheld | $37,078 | $45,919 | $48,702 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 52 | Withheld | Withheld | $24,940 | $26,307 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 51 | $15,500 | $29,126 | $40,550 | $47,440 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 48 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $30,572 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 42 | Withheld | $30,592 | $40,033 | $35,447 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 38 | $20,000 | $48,052 | $57,384 | $65,389 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsCertificate | Certificate | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,400 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 34 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,862 | $50,984 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | $32,602 | $38,846 | $39,605 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | $34,671 | $43,365 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | $21,000 | $33,274 | $36,887 | $42,269 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Certificate | Certificate | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,148 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 25 | Withheld | $36,817 | $41,169 | $33,673 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,734 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | Withheld | $32,651 | $44,435 | $48,733 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersCertificate | Certificate | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,078 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | $68,337 | $61,982 |
| Air TransportationAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $75,495 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | $33,669 | $38,675 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,962 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,589 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Asheville and North Carolina on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in North Carolina
- Homes: Homes for sale in North Carolina
Questions and answers
How much does Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College cost?
$11,602 a year is the average net price at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $2,882 for in-state students and $9,026 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $16,061. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,491 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College?
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College graduates earn?
$36,048 a year is the median pay of former Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($32,630 after 6 years). That ranks 3,336 of 5,094 US colleges and 74 of 147 in North Carolina. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $63,410.
How much student debt do Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College graduates have?
$15,528 is the median federal student loan debt of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College graduates, about $165 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 3.0% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College?
40% of first-time, full-time students at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College finish within 3 years. 59% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (292 associate's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (78 associate's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (73 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 86 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.