Health and Medical Administrative Services at Fayetteville Technical Community College

The earnings trajectory here raises immediate concerns: graduates start at $20,631—roughly $7,000 below both state and national medians—and even after four years, they're only reaching $26,751, still trailing typical first-year outcomes elsewhere. Among North Carolina's 59 programs in this field, Fayetteville Tech ranks in just the 25th percentile, while top state performers like Durham Tech and Wake Tech are producing graduates earning $70,000 and $34,000 respectively in their first year.

The debt picture compounds the problem. At $18,579, students are borrowing nearly a full year's starting salary (0.90 ratio), and while that's relatively low compared to four-year degrees, it's high for a certificate program—especially one with these earnings. The 30% growth to year four is positive, but it's catching up to where most similar programs begin rather than propelling graduates ahead.

The critical caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances heavily skew the numbers. Still, even accounting for statistical noise, this program appears to underperform its North Carolina peers by a substantial margin. For families considering healthcare administrative training, exploring programs at nearby community colleges with proven track records of higher placement earnings would be prudent before committing here.