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Is North Central Texas College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for North Central Texas, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
North Central Texas sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $49,533 helps, but median debt of $11,438 plus yearly net price of $9,607 creates a tighter path. For context, North Central Texas's net price is about 25% 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
$5,639
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $1,916 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $8,000 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
$9,607
Median earnings 10 years out
$49,533
Median debt at graduation
$11,438
Graduation rate
36%
At North Central Texas, a typical graduate carries about $11,438 in student debt and earns roughly $49,533 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $130 per month, or 3% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $18,362 more than the typical working high school graduate in Texas ($31,171) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
70% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in Texas ($31,171).
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
Certificate · 27 working graduates counted
$28,796
Not rated on 2025 earnings (tipped-job rule)
Precision Metal Working
Certificate · 16 working graduates counted
$42,522
$11,351 above the benchmark
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Associate degree · 35 working graduates counted
$45,900
$14,729 above the benchmark
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Associate degree · 496 working graduates counted
$46,319
$15,148 above the benchmark
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate degree · 18 working graduates counted
$47,644
$16,473 above the benchmark
Information Science/Studies
Associate degree · 18 working graduates counted
$49,136
$17,965 above the benchmark
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
Certificate · 97 working graduates counted
$52,768
$21,597 above the benchmark
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Associate degree · 22 working graduates counted
$55,451
$24,280 above the benchmark
Fire Protection
Certificate · 20 working graduates counted
$59,766
$28,595 above the benchmark
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
Associate degree · 28 working graduates counted
$68,343
$37,172 above the benchmark
25 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent North Central Texas College and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
North Central Texas is a two year school in Gainesville, TX. 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
Weatherford
Weatherford, TX
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $9,654
2-year
Blinn College District
Brenham, TX
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $9,773
2-year
Lamar Institute of Technology
Beaumont, TX
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $9,860
2-year
Cisco
Cisco, TX
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $9,076
2-year
South Texas Training Center
Pharr, TX
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $10,231
Common questions about North Central Texas
The median net price at North Central Texas is $9,607 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 Texas? See the most affordable community colleges in Texas →
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 →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at North Central Texas in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$9,607a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
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 →