| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college in the North Carolina Community College System; campus-based |
| Sites | 5, all in Rowan and Cabarrus counties, North Carolina: North Campus in Salisbury (main), South Campus and the Cabarrus Business & Technology Center in Concord, the North Carolina Research Campus site and College Station in Kannapolis |
| Credentials | Associate in applied science degrees, diplomas and certificates; transfer associate degrees; Basic Law Enforcement Training through continuing education |
| Programs | 44 programs of study in the 2026-27 catalog; the college counts 49 degrees, 31 diplomas and 99 certificates |
| Accreditation | Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC), reaffirmed June 2026 through 2036 |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 tuition | $76 per credit for North Carolina residents (at most $1,216 a semester); $268 for non-residents (at most $4,288) |
| Students | Over 25,000 served a year, according to the college; 7,028 undergraduates, 1,648 of them full-time, on Niche (federal data) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Rowan-Cabarrus: a public community college for Rowan and Cabarrus counties
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) is one of the 58 public colleges in the North Carolina Community College System and serves Rowan and Cabarrus counties. It teaches at five sites: the main North Campus in Salisbury, two sites in Concord and two in Kannapolis. The college says it serves over 25,000 students a year in credit and continuing-education courses and calls itself the sixth-largest community college in North Carolina. Niche, using federal data, counts 7,028 undergraduates in credit programs, 1,648 of them full-time.
Alongside university transfer degrees, it trains nurses, dental assistants, therapy assistants, radiographers, cosmetologists, tradespeople and police officers. On 25 Feb 2026 it broke ground on a Technology Education Complex for welding and machining at the North Campus, due to be finished in summer 2027.
Programs, credentials and where they meet
The 2026-27 catalog lists 44 programs of study, and the college advertises 49 degrees, 31 diplomas and 99 certificates. Most career programs come as an associate in applied science (AAS), a shorter diploma and one or more certificates, so students can stop with a credential before the full degree. The college’s general guide puts certificates at about two semesters, diplomas at three and the AAS at five.
| Program | Credentials (credits) | Where the college places it | Exam or accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing (RN) | AAS, 69-70 credits (fall or spring start); LPN-to-ADN AAS, 72 (summer start) | Not stated | NCLEX-RN; ACEN |
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma, 41 credits | Not stated | NCLEX-PN; ACEN |
| Dental Assisting | Diploma, 45 credits (3 semesters) | North Campus, Salisbury | Dental Assisting National Board exam; CODA |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS, 72 credits | Not stated | NBCOT COTA exam; ACOTE |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS, 74 credits (2 years) | Not stated | North Carolina PTA licensure exam; CAPTE |
| Radiography | AAS, 73 credits | Not stated | ARRT exam; JRCERT |
| Healthcare Management Technology | AAS, 70-71 credits; diploma, 36; Medical Coding (18) and Billing Essentials (12) certificates | Not stated | – |
| Cosmetology | AAS, 68-69 credits; diploma, 47; certificate, 34 | College Station, Kannapolis | NC State Board of Cosmetic Arts exam |
| Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration | AAS, 70 credits; diploma, 44; nine certificates, 14-18 | Not stated | – |
| Electrical Systems Technology | AAS, 64 credits; diploma, 40; four certificates, 12-17 | Not stated | – |
| Construction Management Technology | AAS, 67 credits; diploma, 39; three certificates, 12-18 | Not stated | – |
| Automotive Systems Technology | AAS, 70 credits; diploma, 38; Chassis and Management certificates, 15 each | Chassis certificate: North Campus and Cabarrus Business & Technology Center | ASE Education Foundation |
| Computer-Integrated Machining | AAS, 69-70 credits; diploma, 36; certificates, 12-18 | Not stated | Machining certification exams |
| Mechatronics Engineering Technology | AAS, 64-66 credits; diploma, 36-38; certificate, 13 | Not stated | PMMI mechatronics exams |
| Basic Law Enforcement Training | Continuing-education academy, 894 hours | Not stated | North Carolina state certification exam |
| Criminal Justice Technology | AAS, 66-67 credits; diploma, 37; certificates, 15-18 | Not stated | – |
| Business Administration | AAS, 66-67 credits (five concentrations); diploma, 38; certificates | Not stated | – |
| Information Technology | AAS, 67-71 credits (four tracks); two 36-credit diplomas; certificates, 12-16 | Not stated | – |
The college names a campus for only a few programs: the catalog places Dental Assisting at the North Campus and the automotive Chassis certificate at both the North Campus and the Cabarrus Business & Technology Center, and the Cosmetology Center’s own page places cosmetology at College Station. For the rest, check the class schedule to see where courses meet.
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: ACEN for Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing, CODA for Dental Assisting, ACOTE for Occupational Therapy Assistant, CAPTE for Physical Therapist Assistant, JRCERT for Radiography, CAAHEP/CoAEMSP for Emergency Medical Science and the ASE Education Foundation for Automotive Systems Technology. Cosmetology is approved by the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Arts, and BLET is accredited under North Carolina’s Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree Nursing (RN)
The ADN is an associate in applied science of 69 to 70 credits, with separate fall-admission and spring-admission versions, plus a 72-credit LPN-to-ADN version for licensed practical nurses that starts in summer. Classes and clinicals may be scheduled on weekdays, evenings or weekends, and a nighttime cohort taking evening courses began in spring 2025. The college counts a student as completing if they finish within five terms of the first nursing course. Graduates take the NCLEX-RN; the program holds ACEN continuing accreditation and North Carolina Board of Nursing approval.
Practical Nursing (LPN)
Practical Nursing is a 41-credit diploma, and the college’s general guide puts diplomas of 36 to 42 credits at three semesters. It leads to the NCLEX-PN and work as a licensed practical nurse, and it is accredited by ACEN. The college counts a student as completing if they finish within three terms of the first nursing course; its report shows completion of 52% in 2020, 45% in 2021 and 64% in 2022, while 90% (2021) and 94% (2022) of graduates were working as nurses within a year.
Dental Assisting
Dental Assisting is a three-semester, 45-credit diploma taught at the North Campus in Salisbury and accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). It prepares students for the Dental Assisting National Board exam. As in the nursing, radiography and occupational therapy assistant programs, students pay for professional liability insurance, about $13 a year, and lab courses carry fees of $5 to $30 each. Clinical experience takes place in dental offices, which are off campus.
Cosmetology
Cosmetology is taught at the Cosmetology Center in College Station Plaza, Kannapolis, in three lengths: a 34-credit certificate, a 47-credit diploma and a 68-69-credit AAS. The program is approved by the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Arts, and students prepare for the board’s licensing exam. The same center teaches Esthetics Technology and Manicuring/Nail Technology, and it runs a clinic where members of the public can get services from students.
Basic Law Enforcement Training and Criminal Justice
BLET is a continuing-education academy, not a degree. A statewide revision raised it from 705 to 894 hours; Class 2501 began on 8 Jan 2025. The college reported 39 cadets enrolled in that class; all 33 who took the state certification exam passed, and all 33 were hired. Students who want a degree can take Criminal Justice Technology, an AAS of 66 to 67 credits with a 37-credit diploma and Homeland Security and Juvenile Justice certificates; its catalog page does not mention BLET.
Automotive Systems Technology
Automotive Systems Technology is a 70-credit AAS or a 38-credit diploma, accredited by the ASE Education Foundation, with two 15-credit certificates, Chassis and Management, for students who want a shorter credential. The catalog lists the Chassis certificate at both the North Campus and the Cabarrus Business & Technology Center. Automotive Light-Duty Diesel Technology and Motorsports are separate programs. The college plans a new automotive building at the North Campus, but says it is not yet funded.
2026-27 tuition, set by the state
Tuition at all 58 North Carolina community colleges is set by the State Board of Community Colleges and the General Assembly. Rates for 2026-27 are unchanged from 2025-26, according to the system’s tuition memo CC26-027 of 1 Jul 2026. There is no separate in-district rate: every North Carolina resident pays the same.
| 2026-27 | Per credit | Semester maximum (16+ credits) |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina residents (no separate in-district rate) | $76 | $1,216 |
| Non-residents | $268 | $4,288 |
The college’s tuition and fees page lists these mandatory fees each semester:
| Mandatory fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Campus access fee | $20 per semester |
| Student activity fee | $34 per fall or spring semester; $15 in summer |
| Technology fee | $48 per semester at 7+ credits; $24 at 1-6 credits |
Other charges include lab fees of $5 to $30 per lab course and professional liability insurance of about $13 a year in cosmetology, early childhood, dental, nursing, radiography and occupational therapy assistant programs. A full-time fall and spring at 16 or more credits comes to about $2,636 in tuition and mandatory fees for North Carolina residents and about $8,780 for non-residents, by our arithmetic, before books and supplies.
The college takes federal student aid. Niche reports that 70% of students receive aid and gives a net price of $9,548 a year, without saying which year.
Open admission, with selective health programs
Rowan-Cabarrus admits applicants openly and charges no application fee, according to Niche. Health programs such as nursing have their own selective admission steps, so check the program’s requirements before applying.
Associate Degree Nursing admits in fall and spring and the LPN-to-ADN track in summer, and since spring 2025 a nighttime ADN cohort has taken evening courses. Several IT certificates admit only in spring. High-school students can take college courses through Career and College Promise, which grew from 589 students in its first year to over 2,300 in 2024.
Accreditation and results
Rowan-Cabarrus is accredited by the Commission on Colleges and Universities, which was named SACSCOC until 1 Sep 2026. The commission reaffirmed the college’s accreditation in June 2026 through 2036, with a fifth-year report due in 2031 and no public sanctions, according to the commission’s record and the college’s release of 5 Aug 2026.
We could not read current NCLEX results reliably from the North Carolina Board of Nursing’s reports, so the nursing figures below come from the college’s own nursing outcome report, whose newest results cover 2020 to 2022. We found no newer college report.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 95%, 92%, 94% | 2020, 2021, 2022; college nursing outcome report |
| Associate Degree Nursing (aggregated), first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 80%, 82%, 81.1% | 2020, 2021, 2022; college nursing outcome report |
| Basic Law Enforcement Training, state exam | 33 of 33 passed (100%); all 33 hired | Class 2501, 2025; college release |
| Graduation rate (whole college) | 42% | Federal data shown on Niche; cohort year not shown |
| Employed one year after graduation | 91% | Federal data shown on Niche; cohort year not shown |
| Median earnings five years after graduation | $41,292 | Federal data shown on Niche; cohort year not shown |
The radiography, physical therapist assistant and occupational therapy assistant accreditors require programs to publish exam results, but we could not reach the program pages that would carry them; ask each program for its latest figures.
Before you enroll
- Nursing results are old. The college’s newest report covers 2020-22, and it showed traditional ADN completion falling to 37% for May 2022 and 33% for May 2023 (finishing within five terms of the first nursing course), against the college’s own 60% target.
- The catalog doesn’t tie most programs to a campus. With sites in Salisbury, Concord and Kannapolis, check where your courses meet before you register.
- In the credit catalog, Nurse Aide is listed only for high-school students in Career and College Promise. Adults looking for nurse aide training should ask the college what is open to them.
- Welding is crowded: the college says the program enrolls more than 300 students a semester and has a waitlist, and its new building won’t be finished until summer 2027.
- The 42% graduation rate shown on Niche covers the whole college, and Niche does not give its cohort or definition; most undergraduates (5,380 of 7,028) study part-time.
Five sites in Rowan and Cabarrus counties
| Site | Address | What the college places here |
|---|---|---|
| North Campus (main) | 1333 Jake Alexander Blvd. S., Salisbury, NC 28146 | Dental Assisting; automotive Chassis certificate; welding; Technology Education Complex from summer 2027 |
| South Campus | 1531 Trinity Church Rd., Concord, NC 28027 | No program assigned in the catalog |
| Cabarrus Business & Technology Center | 660 Concord Parkway N., Concord, NC 28027 | Automotive Chassis certificate |
| North Carolina Research Campus and Advanced Technology Center | 399 Biotechnology Ln., Kannapolis, NC 28081 | College building with nursing and biotechnology space; Advanced Technology Center labs; Small Business Center |
| College Station | 489 N. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis, NC 28083 | Cosmetology Center: cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, public clinic |
A Career and College Promise building planned for the North Campus, due to open in fall 2027, is for advising and student support rather than classes. Clinical placements in hospitals and dental offices are off campus.
What students say
On Niche, Rowan-Cabarrus is rated 3.87 out of 5 from 286 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ and a #11 ranking among North Carolina community colleges (checked 13 Oct 2026). Reviewers most often praise caring, approachable instructors and small classes, good preparation for transferring to a university, and low cost with flexible schedules, including online courses. The most common complaints are inconsistent student services and communication, and limited campus life. The reviews cover the whole college, and Niche does not show review dates, so we could not check whether they were posted in bursts.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Associate Degree Nursing (RN)
- LPN-to-ADN
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Dental Assisting
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Radiography
- Healthcare Management Technology (incl. Medical Coding certificate)
- Emergency Medical Science
- Therapeutic Massage
Cosmetic Arts
- Cosmetology
- Cosmetology Instructor
- Esthetics Technology
- Manicuring/Nail Technology
Construction and Building Trades
- Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology
- Electrical Systems Technology
- Construction Management Technology
- Basic Residential Plumbing (certificate)
Manufacturing, Welding and Engineering
- Computer-Integrated Machining
- Mechatronics Engineering Technology
- Welding Technology
- Electronics Engineering Technology
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Mechanical Drafting Technology
Automotive
- Automotive Systems Technology
- Automotive Light-Duty Diesel Technology
- Motorsports
Public Safety and Law
- Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET)
- Criminal Justice Technology
- Fire Protection Technology
- Emergency Management
- 911 Communication and Operations
Business Administration
- Business Administration (General, Human Resources Management, Marketing, Data Analytics, Sports Management)
- Accounting and Finance
Information Technology
- Business IT Support
- Computer Programming and Development
- Cybersecurity
- Networking and Virtualization
- System Administration (diploma)
Education, Human Services and Design
- Early Childhood Education
- Infant/Toddler Care
- Social & Human Services: Addiction and Recovery Studies
- Graphic Design
University Transfer
- Associate in Arts
- Associate in Science
- Associate in Engineering
- Associate in Fine Arts: Visual Arts
- Teacher Preparation (AA/AS)
Campus Locations
Salisbury, NC 1333 Jake Alexander Blvd. S., Salisbury, NC 28146
Charlotte (Concord), NC 1531 Trinity Church Rd., Concord, NC 28027
Charlotte (Concord), NC 660 Concord Parkway N., Concord, NC 28027
Charlotte (Kannapolis), NC 399 Biotechnology Ln., Kannapolis, NC 28081
Charlotte (Kannapolis), NC 489 N. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis, NC 28083