Computer and Information Sciences at Wayne Community College

Based on comparable computer science programs in North Carolina, Wayne Community College graduates can expect first-year earnings around $40,850, which sits right at the state median for this credential. That's a decent starting point for an associate's degree, putting graduates slightly above the national benchmark of $35,760. The estimated debt load of roughly $15,300 creates a manageable 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning graduates would owe about five months of their first year's salary. By year four, when earnings rise to $48,600, that debt burden becomes even more reasonable.

The challenge with this program is that we're working entirely with estimates based on peer institutions, since Wayne's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. Looking at schools with reported data tells a revealing story: Wake Tech grads earn $48,280 right out of the gate, nearly $8,000 more than the state median, while Durham Tech isn't far behind at $45,850. This suggests that not all North Carolina community college IT programs deliver equal value, and location matters considerably in this field.

For families in the Goldsboro area, the real question is whether Wayne can match the performance of its peers or if it's worth commuting to a program with proven outcomes. The debt-to-earnings fundamentals suggest this path could work, but without actual graduate data, you're betting that Wayne's program performs at least as well as the average North Carolina community college—not a given in a field where program quality varies significantly.