About
Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is a public community college in Wilmington, North Carolina. It enrolls nearly 23,000 students each year. The service area of Cape Fear Community College includes New Hanover and Pender counties with a main campus located in downtown Wilmington and satellite campuses in Castle Hayne, Burgaw, and Surf City.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 4.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 90 Title IV programs, 5 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 85 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing5 · 5.6%
- No Data85 · 94.4%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 5
Action history · 29
- Aug 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) - Programs leading to an associate degree
- Apr 2025Warning or Equivalent-Factors Affecting Academic QualityAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) - Programs leading to an associate degree
- Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 3,626 students received $16.9M in Pell grants, alongside $4.4M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 993 borrowers who entered repayment, 41 (4.1%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Cape Fear Community College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 3
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Cape Fear Community College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Cape Fear Community College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCape Fear Community College | 34% | — | 14,082 | $9,610 | Community College |
| — | — | 6,950 | $5,547 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,876 | $7,818 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,841 | $15,724 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,457 | $15,843 | Community College | |
| — | — | 12,842 | $9,053 | Community College | |
| — | — | 12,861 | $15,728 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,712 | $4,734 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,787 | $4,462 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,478 | $5,297 | Community College | |
| — | — | 10,337 | $4,458 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,397 | $4,547 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,273 | $2,039 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,873 | $1,115 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,103 | $5,377 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,455 | $7,443 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,980 | $15,742 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,718 | $5,687 | Community College | |
| — | — | 7,533 | $6,777 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,475 | $4,739 | Community College | |
| — | — | 7,361 | -$1,128 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,399 | $4,983 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,364 | $11,282 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,218 | $12,378 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,897 | $2,129 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,098 | $6,791 | Community College | |
| — | 100.0% | 7,004 | $4,754 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,143 | $5,837 | Community College | |
| — | — | 12,222 | -$982 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,963 | $7,802 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,899 | $5,387 | Community College | |
| Peer group median | 34% | 100.0% | 8,103 | $5,547 |
Institutions like Cape Fear Community College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Cape Fear Community College's comparison group.
- Community CollegeMassachusetts
Bristol Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,950Net price$5,547View data - Community CollegeMassachusetts
Bunker Hill Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,876Net price$7,818View data - Community CollegeKansas
Butler Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,841Net price$15,724View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Cabrillo College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,457Net price$15,843View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Chabot College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment12,842Net price$9,053View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
College of the Desert
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment12,861Net price$15,728View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Columbia State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,712Net price$4,734View data - Community CollegeNew York
CUNY Bronx Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,787Net price$4,462View data - Community CollegeNew York
CUNY Hostos Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,478Net price$5,297View data - Community CollegeNew York
CUNY Queensborough Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment10,337Net price$4,458View data - Community CollegeMichigan
Delta College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,397Net price$4,547View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Hartnell College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,273Net price$2,039View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Imperial Valley College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,873Net price$1,115View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Las Positas College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,103Net price$5,377View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Los Medanos College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,455Net price$7,443View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Motlow State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,980Net price$15,742View data - Community CollegeMichigan
Mott Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,718Net price$5,687View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Nashville State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,533Net price$6,777View data - Community CollegeOklahoma
Oklahoma City Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,475Net price$4,739View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Oxnard College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,361Net price-$1,128View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Pellissippi State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,399Net price$4,983View data - Community CollegeNew York
Rockland Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,364Net price$11,282View data - Community CollegeNew Jersey
Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,218Net price$12,378View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Santiago Canyon College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,897Net price$2,129View data - Community CollegeTexas
South Plains College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,098Net price$6,791View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate100.0%Enrollment7,004Net price$4,754View data - Community CollegeMissouri
St Charles Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,143Net price$5,837View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Ventura College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment12,222Net price-$982View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Volunteer State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,963Net price$7,802View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Walters State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,899Net price$5,387View data
Cape Fear Community College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Compliance provides leadership and direction for all college-wide planning, assessment, compliance, and research activities to ensure continuous improvement and accreditation compliance.
Visit IR office page- Dr. Michael CobbVice President of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Compliance
- Robin HardinDirector, Institutional Effectiveness & SACS Liaison
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookQuick Facts | Cape Fear Community College2025The Quick Facts page for Cape Fear Community College provides the latest data on student achievements, enrollment numbers, faculty, staff, curriculum completions, online learning metrics, and employee demographics. The page outlines key statistics such as total unduplicated student enrollment, curriculum enrollment rates by program, completions of various degrees and certificates, and the demographic profile of students. It also includes detailed figures on the college's faculty and staff, distinguishing between full-time and part-time statuses.cfcc.edu
Frequently asked questions about Cape Fear Community College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Cape Fear Community College.
What is the graduation rate at Cape Fear Community College?
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What is the average net price at Cape Fear Community College?
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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