The cost of college in North Carolina — and what it pays back
Across the 115 North Carolina institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $10,846/yr, $6,056 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $36,686 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 22 of the 115 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How North Carolina's 115 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $11,655 | $72,200 | 2 yrs |
| Davidson College | $17,379 | $81,400 | 2.1 yrs |
| Duke University | $29,612 | $97,800 | 2.4 yrs |
| Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | $17,618 | $58,708 | 3.4 yrs |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $17,303 | $68,758 | 3.4 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes Community College | -$264 | $34,728 | no payback |
| Edgecombe Community College | $0 | $33,267 | no payback |
| Cleveland Community College | $995 | $33,755 | no payback |
| Piedmont Community College | $1,095 | $33,274 | no payback |
| Durham Technical Community College | $1,664 | $36,142 | no payback |
How many North Carolina colleges actually pay for themselves?
22 of 115 — 19% of the North Carolina institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do North Carolina graduates out-earn the national median?
North Carolina graduates report a median $36,686 ten years after entry, $6,863 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.