Western Piedmont Community College
Western Piedmont Community College offers hands-on training for skilled careers through various programs, including those in allied health, emergency services, law enforcement, and construction. The college also features a Partnership for Apprenticeship and Career Exploration (PACE) program, which connects students with local manufacturers for paid work experience and tuition-free education in advanced manufacturing fields. Many programs are designed for quick entry into the workforce or to upgrade existing skills, with options for certifications and diplomas.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition (In-State)
All Programs at Western Piedmont Community College
3 trade programs at Western Piedmont CC, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.
| Program | Score | Earnings | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
88 | $66,888/yr | — |
|
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice and Corrections Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
86 | $44,397/yr | — |
|
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
50 | $29,365/yr | — |
Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.
More Trade Schools in North Carolina
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in North Carolina, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in North Carolina
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in North Carolina. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
Trade Schools Near Morganton
Other cities in North Carolina with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Morganton.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 3 trade and vocational programs at Western Piedmont Community College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.