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Is Durham Technical Community College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Durham Technical Community, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Durham Technical Community sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $36,142 helps, but median debt of $14,750 plus yearly net price of $1,664 creates a tighter path. For context, Durham Technical Community's net price sits about 45% below the typical 2-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$4,181
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $3,374 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $13,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$1,664
Median earnings 10 years out
$36,142
Median debt at graduation
$14,750
Graduation rate
40%
At Durham Technical Community, a typical graduate carries about $14,750 in student debt and earns roughly $36,142 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $168 per month, or 6% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $5,658 less than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
59% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Durham Technical Community is a two year school in Durham, NC. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Wayne Community
Goldsboro, NC
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $2,245
2-year
Wilson Community
Wilson, NC
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $3,064
2-year
Joliet Junior
Joliet, IL
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $1,672
2-year
Lamar State College-Orange
Orange, TX
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $1,655
2-year
Macomb Community
Warren, MI
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $1,618
Common questions about Durham Technical Community
The median net price at Durham Technical Community is $1,664 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in North Carolina? See the most affordable community colleges in North Carolina →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →