Degree Dividend
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Best colleges in North Carolina, ranked by ROI

We rank all 115 North Carolina institutions we profile by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The state's median net price is $10,846/yr (below the $16,902 national median), and its graduates earn a median $36,686 ten years out (below the $43,549 national median). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill leads, clearing its cost in 2 years. (Scorecard, 2026.)

$10,846
Median net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$36,686
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
11 yrs
Median payback
Our math, 2026
115
Colleges ranked
degreedividend.com
North Carolina colleges by payback (best first)
#CollegeNet price/yrEarnings 10yPayback
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$11,655$72,2002 yrs
2Davidson College$17,379$81,4002.1 yrs
3Duke University$29,612$97,8002.4 yrs
4Cabarrus College of Health Sciences$17,618$58,7083.4 yrs
5North Carolina State University at Raleigh$17,303$68,7583.4 yrs
6Chamberlain University-North Carolina$38,436$92,4053.5 yrs
7Wake Forest University$28,719$78,1583.9 yrs
8Galen Health Institutes-Asheville$28,602$61,4804.4 yrs
9Elon University$41,555$74,5456.3 yrs
10University of North Carolina at Charlotte$15,435$57,2896.9 yrs
11East Carolina University$15,739$55,1469.3 yrs
12High Point University$38,707$61,38911.9 yrs
13University of North Carolina Wilmington$20,109$54,96712.2 yrs
14Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville$28,915$52,87312.8 yrs
15Queens University of Charlotte$30,857$57,67313.3 yrs
16Campbell University$24,516$54,88615 yrs
17Wingate University$20,748$52,64919.3 yrs
18Appalachian State University$16,836$51,83619.4 yrs
19Pfeiffer University$19,076$51,56223.8 yrs
20Meredith College$22,488$51,53928.3 yrs
21Western Carolina University$13,315$49,45848.5 yrs
22Catawba College$17,879$48,793165.2 yrs
23University of North Carolina at Greensboro$10,965$48,160no payback
24Gardner-Webb University$17,674$48,039no payback
25University of Mount Olive$18,853$47,139no payback
26Barton College$23,626$47,913no payback
27Guilford College$22,270$47,590no payback
28Methodist University$24,704$48,050no payback
29Belmont Abbey College$24,639$47,937no payback
30Greensboro College$17,882$46,566no payback
31Winston-Salem State University$13,479$45,344no payback
32North Carolina Wesleyan University$17,432$45,873no payback
33William Peace University$21,649$46,643no payback
34North Carolina A & T State University$10,846$44,440no payback
35University of North Carolina Asheville$12,250$44,030no payback
36Lenoir-Rhyne University$20,689$45,543no payback
37University of North Carolina at Pembroke$10,260$43,407no payback
38Salem College$18,277$44,640no payback
39Mars Hill University$19,910$44,781no payback
40Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte$27,426$43,418no payback
41Wake Technical Community College$8,759$41,769no payback
42North Carolina Central University$15,359$42,968no payback
43Montreat College$27,061$45,151no payback
44Brevard College$23,509$43,545no payback
45Elizabeth City State University$6,364$40,026no payback
46Fayetteville State University$7,892$40,144no payback
47Johnson C Smith University$20,894$42,680no payback
48Lees-McRae College$28,340$43,415no payback
49Cape Fear Community College$9,610$38,654no payback
50Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte$25,733$42,759no payback
51Central Piedmont Community College$3,345$37,865no payback
52Johnston Community College$1,776$37,310no payback
53South Piedmont Community College$6,675$37,308no payback
54Durham Technical Community College$1,664$36,142no payback
55Catawba Valley Community College$10,528$36,977no payback
56Pitt Community College$7,337$37,259no payback
57Brunswick Community College$9,009$36,668no payback
58Chowan University$14,086$38,412no payback
59Stanly Community College$5,721$36,686no payback
60Coastal Carolina Community College$9,461$36,444no payback
61University of North Carolina School of the Arts$14,906$38,357no payback
62Blue Ridge Community College$5,756$36,324no payback
63Surry Community College$4,961$36,012no payback
64Wilkes Community College-$264$34,728no payback
65Davidson-Davie Community College$8,753$36,337no payback
66Nash Community College$3,338$34,912no payback
67Haywood Community College$6,723$34,770no payback
68Mayland Community College$5,861$34,663no payback
69Gaston College$6,592$35,386no payback
70Vance-Granville Community College$3,286$34,304no payback
71Craven Community College$3,289$34,231no payback
72Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College$11,602$36,048no payback
73Wayne Community College$2,245$34,148no payback
74Southwestern Community College$5,207$34,145no payback
75Cleveland Community College$995$33,755no payback
76Western Piedmont Community College$6,448$34,195no payback
77Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute$10,810$34,515no payback
78Forsyth Technical Community College$7,200$34,139no payback
79Rowan-Cabarrus Community College$7,981$34,936no payback
80Edgecombe Community College$0$33,267no payback
81Piedmont Community College$1,095$33,274no payback
82Lenoir Community College$4,127$33,866no payback
83Alamance Community College$6,109$34,241no payback
84College of the Albemarle$2,253$33,234no payback
85Central Carolina Community College$5,446$33,525no payback
86Sampson Community College$3,108$33,409no payback
87Wilson Community College$3,064$32,973no payback
88Mitchell Community College$6,481$33,298no payback
89Louisburg College$22,694$34,818no payback
90Guilford Technical Community College$15,002$33,934no payback
91Rockingham Community College$2,060$32,480no payback
92McDowell Technical Community College$7,784$33,035no payback
93Warren Wilson College$21,249$36,260no payback
94Randolph Community College$6,918$33,336no payback
95Tri-County Community College$7,799$32,232no payback
96Sandhills Community College$4,157$31,656no payback
97Beaufort County Community College$6,500$32,519no payback
98Carteret Community College$10,764$33,357no payback
99Isothermal Community College$10,758$33,325no payback
100Fayetteville Technical Community College$3,589$31,861no payback
101Shaw University$16,512$34,409no payback
102Halifax Community College$9,040$31,644no payback
103Montgomery Community College$13,832$32,742no payback
104Livingstone College$13,479$32,600no payback
105Bladen Community College$9,551$30,591no payback
106Southeastern Community College$9,148$30,284no payback
107Richmond Community College$5,071$29,951no payback
108James Sprunt Community College$1,863$29,307no payback
109Roanoke-Chowan Community College$5,570$29,324no payback
110Robeson Community College$2,892$29,036no payback
111Carolina University$20,828$32,864no payback
112Miller-Motte College-Raleigh$22,736$31,102no payback
113Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville$26,409$31,102no payback
114Martin Community College$2,676$26,016no payback
115Southeastern College-Charlotte$30,611$31,548no payback

College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.

Colleges in North Carolina: frequently asked questions

Which college has the best ROI in North Carolina?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It charges $11,655/yr after aid and its graduates earn a median $72,200 ten years out, clearing the cost in about 2 years — the fastest payback of the 115 North Carolina colleges we track.
How much does college cost in North Carolina?
The median net price across North Carolina colleges is $10,846/yr after grants and scholarships — below the $16,902 national median. That is the actual price the typical aided student pays, not the published sticker.
What do North Carolina college graduates earn?
A median $36,686 ten years after entry (Scorecard), below the $43,549 national median. Earnings vary widely by school and major — see each college's profile for its own figure.
How many North Carolina colleges pay for themselves?
22 of the 115 North Carolina colleges we track clear their cost on institution-wide earnings above the high-school baseline. The rest need a high-ROI major to pay off — the school average alone does not.