Head-to-head comparison
Belmont Abbey College vs Tri-County Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Belmont, NC
Belmont Abbey College
- Net price / year
- $24,639
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,937
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Murphy, NC
Tri-County Community College
- Net price / year
- $7,799
- Earnings, 10 years
- $32,232
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Belmont Abbey College comes closer — median earnings $47,937 against a $98,556 total, vs $32,232 at Tri-County Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Belmont Abbey College | Tri-County Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $24,639 | $7,799 |
| Total net cost | $98,556 | $15,598 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,937 | $32,232 |
| Median debt | $26,000 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$107,016 | -$338,158 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Belmont Abbey College or Tri-County Community College?
Tri-County Community College, at $7,799 a year after aid versus $24,639 — a gap of $16,840 a year, or $82,958 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Belmont Abbey College or Tri-County Community College graduates earn more?
Belmont Abbey College graduates report a median $47,937 ten years after entry, $15,705 more than the $32,232 at Tri-County Community College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
54% of students finish at Tri-County Community College, against 47% at Belmont Abbey College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.