Western Piedmont Community College
Morganton, North Carolina · Also known as WPCC · Website
$34,195
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$34,195
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Western Piedmont Community College is a public 2-year college in Morganton, North Carolina with 1,339 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $6,448 a year (tuition and fees $2,650 in-state, $8,794 out-of-state). 49% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $34,195 a year 10 years after they started.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$6,448
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$2,650
Out-of-state $8,794
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
49%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
-
Earnings at 10 years
$34,195
Rank 3,579 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
- $6,448
- Tuition in-state
- $2,650
- Tuition out-of-state
- $8,794
- Cost of attendance
- $16,642
- Students with a need-based grant
- 45%
- Students with federal loans
- 0%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $4,471
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $6,147
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $7,386
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $13,421
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 $2,513 in 2015-16 to $2,650 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
- 1,339
- Part-time students
- 68%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 10
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Retention rate
- 75%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 55
- Endowment
- $4.41M
- 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 3,579 of 5,094 US colleges and 91 of 147 in North Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $6,448 | $14,086 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $2,650 | $6,906 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 75% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 49% | 48% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 75% | 72% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | - | $20,000 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $29,913 | $31,569 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $34,195 | $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. 28% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 50% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
55 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 | 141 | Withheld | $29,365 | $37,986 | $44,125 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 44 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $26,307 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 35 | Withheld | $44,397 | $50,871 | $57,702 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCertificate | Certificate | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $27,014 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | $66,888 | $72,011 | $80,813 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,472 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 12 | Withheld | - | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $73,046 |
| American Sign LanguageCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,771 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,272 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and ArtisanryCertificate | Certificate | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Legal Support ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | - | Withheld | - |
| Design and Applied ArtsCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | - | Withheld | - |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | $30,218 | $33,673 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,660 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 7 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Legal Support ServicesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,669 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,702 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsAssociate's | Associate's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,656 |
| Precision Metal WorkingAssociate's | Associate's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,451 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Morganton 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 Western Piedmont Community College cost?
$6,448 a year is the average net price at Western Piedmont Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $2,650 for in-state students and $8,794 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $16,642. Families earning under $30,000 pay $4,471 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Piedmont Community College?
Western Piedmont Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Western Piedmont Community College graduates earn?
$34,195 a year is the median pay of former Western Piedmont Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($29,913 after 6 years). That ranks 3,579 of 5,094 US colleges and 91 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 $66,888.
What is the graduation rate at Western Piedmont Community College?
49% of first-time, full-time students at Western Piedmont Community College finish within 3 years. 75% 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 Western Piedmont Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (141 associate's graduates), Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (44 certificate graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (35 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 55 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.