Wilkes Community College
Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Website
$34,728
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$34,728
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Wilkes Community College is a public 2-year college in Wilkesboro, North Carolina with 1,355 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is -$264 a year (tuition and fees $2,572 in-state, $8,716 out-of-state). 55% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $34,728 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $7,625 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
-$264
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$2,572
Out-of-state $8,716
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
55%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$7,625
About $81 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$34,728
Rank 3,484 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
- -$264
- Tuition in-state
- $2,572
- Tuition out-of-state
- $8,716
- Cost of attendance
- $9,844
- Students with a need-based grant
- 45%
- Students with federal loans
- 0%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- -$1,444
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- -$992
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $1,679
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $4,528
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $6,653
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 $2,508 in 2015-16 to $2,572 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
- 1,355
- Part-time students
- 48%
- Women
- 61%
- Students per teacher
- 8
- Completion rate
- 55%
- Retention rate
- 69%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 42
- Endowment
- $5.97M
- 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 3,484 of 5,094 US colleges and 83 of 147 in North Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | -$264 | $14,086 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $2,572 | $6,906 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 75% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 55% | 48% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 69% | 72% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $7,625 | $20,000 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $32,842 | $31,569 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $34,728 | $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. 33% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 57% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
42 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 | 199 | Withheld | $25,681 | $34,852 | $44,125 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 128 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,440 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 117 | Withheld | $24,245 | $40,216 | $51,586 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 68 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,702 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 51 | Withheld | $41,251 | $52,707 | $57,702 |
| Design and Applied ArtsCertificate | Certificate | 47 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,116 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 44 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,354 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 40 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,984 |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionCertificate | Certificate | 40 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $42,012 |
| Agricultural Production OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 34 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $42,010 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $30,572 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 29 | Withheld | $62,962 | $68,076 | $80,813 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,589 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,409 | $48,733 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCertificate | Certificate | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,631 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,365 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,705 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | Withheld | $27,564 | $47,738 | $58,424 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | $57,849 | $65,389 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,343 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $33,673 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 17 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,734 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,272 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | $47,271 | $46,706 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Wilkesboro 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 Wilkes Community College cost?
-$264 a year is the average net price at Wilkes Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $2,572 for in-state students and $8,716 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $9,844. Families earning under $30,000 pay -$1,444 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Wilkes Community College?
Wilkes Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Wilkes Community College graduates earn?
$34,728 a year is the median pay of former Wilkes Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($32,842 after 6 years). That ranks 3,484 of 5,094 US colleges and 83 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 $62,962.
How much student debt do Wilkes Community College graduates have?
$7,625 is the median federal student loan debt of Wilkes Community College graduates, about $81 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 0% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Wilkes Community College?
55% of first-time, full-time students at Wilkes Community College finish within 3 years. 69% 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 Wilkes Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (199 associate's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (128 certificate graduates), Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians (117 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 42 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.