Head-to-head comparison
North Carolina Wesleyan University vs Beaufort County Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Rocky Mount, NC
North Carolina Wesleyan University
- Net price / year
- $17,432
- Earnings, 10 years
- $45,873
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Washington, NC
Beaufort County Community College
- Net price / year
- $6,500
- Earnings, 10 years
- $32,519
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but North Carolina Wesleyan University comes closer — median earnings $45,873 against a $69,728 total, vs $32,519 at Beaufort County Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | North Carolina Wesleyan University | Beaufort County Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $17,432 | $6,500 |
| Total net cost | $69,728 | $26,000 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $45,873 | $32,519 |
| Median debt | $25,000 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$119,468 | -$342,820 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, North Carolina Wesleyan University or Beaufort County Community College?
Beaufort County Community College, at $6,500 a year after aid versus $17,432 — a gap of $10,932 a year, or $43,728 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 North Carolina Wesleyan University or Beaufort County Community College graduates earn more?
North Carolina Wesleyan University graduates report a median $45,873 ten years after entry, $13,354 more than the $32,519 at Beaufort 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?
48% of students finish at Beaufort County Community College, against 42% at North Carolina Wesleyan University. 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.