Best value colleges in North Carolina
Every North Carolina college we have data for, ranked by 10-year return on investment.
168
Colleges
$14,731
Avg net price as of 2024
$45,663
Median earnings as of 2024
$18,580
Median debt as of 2024
Top colleges in North Carolina
Showing the top 132 of 168 by ROI — sort the table, or use the finder to filter all North Carolina colleges by cost, earnings and major.
| # | College | Type | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham Technical Community College Durham, NC | Public | $69,257 | $1,664 | $14,750 | +2,687% | Strong return | |
| 2 | Sampson Community College Clinton, NC | Public | $54,465 | $3,108 | — | +1,423% | Strong return | |
| 3 | Wilson Community College Wilson, NC | Public | $59,310 | $3,064 | $10,500 | +1,338% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Halifax Community College Weldon, NC | Public | $60,335 | $9,040 | — | +748% | Strong return | |
| 5 | College of the Albemarle Elizabeth City, NC | Public | $48,789 | $2,253 | — | +741% | Strong return | |
| 6 | Mayland Community College Spruce Pine, NC | Public | $53,684 | $5,861 | — | +641% | Strong return | |
| 7 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC | Private | $81,989 | $13,090 | — | +606% | Strong return | |
| 8 | Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC | Public | $50,077 | $3,345 | $7,925 | +430% | Strong return | |
| 9 | Duke University Durham, NC | Private | $104,531 | $29,612 | $13,000 | +383% | Strong return | |
| 10 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | Public | $67,381 | $11,655 | $14,000 | +333% | Strong return | |
| 11 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | Public | $71,695 | $17,303 | $20,121 | +249% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, NC | Private | $74,902 | $19,076 | $26,163 | +248% | Strong return | |
| 13 | Davidson College Davidson, NC | Private | $70,990 | $17,379 | $18,688 | +241% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, NC | Private | $70,589 | $17,618 | $16,000 | +235% | Strong return | |
| 15 | Galen Health Institutes-Asheville Asheville, NC | For-profit | $83,791 | $28,602 | $24,166 | +215% | Strong return | |
| 16 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | Private | $82,299 | $28,719 | $21,500 | +204% | Strong return | |
| 17 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Public | $65,598 | $15,435 | $21,500 | +196% | Strong return | |
| 18 | Chamberlain University-North Carolina Charlotte, NC | For-profit | $92,768 | $38,436 | $20,919 | +196% | Strong return | |
| 19 | Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock, NC | Public | $49,265 | $5,756 | $12,000 | +169% | Strong return | |
| 20 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC | Public | $62,224 | $15,739 | $22,750 | +142% | Strong return | |
| 21 | MyComputerCareer at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | For-profit | $58,080 | $26,528 | $9,500 | +131% | Strong return | |
| 22 | Cape Fear Community College Wilmington, NC | Public | $50,171 | $9,610 | $9,500 | +128% | Strong return | |
| 23 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC | Private | $63,590 | $24,516 | $22,500 | +75% | Strong return | |
| 24 | Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC | Private | $58,875 | $17,674 | $24,222 | +75% | Strong return | |
| 25 | Methodist University Fayetteville, NC | Private | $63,419 | $24,704 | $27,000 | +70% | Strong return | |
| 26 | Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC | Public | $48,768 | $10,528 | $4,938 | +65% | Break-even | |
| 27 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC | Public | $53,276 | $10,846 | $27,000 | +56% | Break-even | |
| 28 | Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville Mooresville, NC | For-profit | $54,588 | $28,915 | $13,124 | +53% | Break-even | |
| 29 | Elon University Elon, NC | Private | $69,323 | $41,555 | $20,500 | +40% | Break-even | |
| 30 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC | Public | $55,391 | $16,836 | $20,231 | +39% | Break-even | |
| 31 | Montreat College Montreat, NC | Private | $60,778 | $27,061 | $25,813 | +34% | Break-even | |
| 32 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC | Public | $50,304 | $7,892 | $22,987 | +33% | Break-even | |
| 33 | North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount, NC | Private | $54,468 | $17,432 | $25,000 | +20% | Break-even | |
| 34 | University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC | Private | $55,111 | $18,853 | $27,209 | +19% | Break-even | |
| 35 | Wingate University Wingate, NC | Private | $55,875 | $20,748 | $25,000 | +18% | Break-even | |
| 36 | Brunswick Community College Bolivia, NC | Public | $47,080 | $9,009 | — | +15% | Break-even | |
| 37 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | Public | $51,717 | $13,315 | $21,868 | +10% | Break-even | |
| 38 | Montgomery Community College Troy, NC | Public | $48,011 | $13,832 | — | +9% | Break-even | |
| 39 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC | Public | $50,635 | $10,965 | $22,858 | +8% | Break-even | |
| 40 | Meredith College Raleigh, NC | Private | $53,891 | $22,488 | $25,000 | -10% | Poor return | |
| 41 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC | Public | $49,441 | $10,260 | $25,000 | -11% | Poor return | |
| 42 | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte Charlotte, NC | For-profit | $50,246 | $25,733 | $29,773 | -16% | Poor return | |
| 43 | Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, NC | Private | $52,676 | $20,689 | $26,000 | -17% | Poor return | |
| 44 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Private | $55,682 | $30,857 | $25,000 | -19% | Poor return | |
| 45 | North Carolina Central University Durham, NC | Public | $50,468 | $15,359 | $28,250 | -24% | Poor return | |
| 46 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC | Public | $51,603 | $20,109 | $19,500 | -25% | Poor return | |
| 47 | William Peace University Raleigh, NC | Private | $51,349 | $21,649 | $22,250 | -33% | Poor return | |
| 48 | Salem College Winston-Salem, NC | Private | $50,053 | $18,277 | $26,649 | -39% | Poor return | |
| 49 | Brevard College Brevard, NC | Private | $48,851 | $23,509 | $25,000 | -63% | Poor return | |
| 50 | Tri-County Community College Murphy, NC | Public | $45,477 | $7,799 | — | -69% | Poor return | |
| 51 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Private | $48,340 | $27,426 | $26,000 | -72% | Poor return | |
| 52 | Mid-Atlantic Christian University Elizabeth City, NC | Private | $46,906 | $18,328 | $27,000 | -77% | Poor return | |
| 53 | Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC | Private | $46,522 | $19,910 | $26,000 | -83% | Poor return | |
| 54 | Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC | Public | $45,863 | $13,479 | $25,000 | -86% | Poor return | |
| 55 | Guilford College Greensboro, NC | Private | $45,907 | $22,270 | $26,000 | -91% | Poor return | |
| 56 | Barton College Wilson, NC | Private | $45,836 | $23,626 | $25,877 | -92% | Poor return | |
| 57 | Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC | Private | $44,843 | $14,086 | $29,491 | -102% | Poor return | |
| 58 | Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC | Private | $44,747 | $20,894 | $30,000 | -103% | Poor return | |
| 59 | Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, NC | Private | $44,593 | $28,340 | $17,375 | -103% | Poor return | |
| 60 | Belmont Abbey College Belmont, NC | Private | $44,081 | $24,639 | $26,000 | -109% | Poor return | |
| 61 | Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC | Public | $44,718 | $8,759 | $12,000 | -113% | Poor return | |
| 62 | Bennett College Greensboro, NC | Private | $42,797 | $28,299 | $28,130 | -118% | Poor return | |
| 63 | Shaw University Raleigh, NC | Private | $42,810 | $16,512 | $32,500 | -128% | Poor return | |
| 64 | Catawba College Salisbury, NC | Private | $42,235 | $17,879 | $25,000 | -134% | Poor return | |
| 65 | Saint Augustine's University Raleigh, NC | Private | $41,019 | $24,313 | $29,669 | -137% | Poor return | |
| 66 | Pitt Community College Winterville, NC | Public | $43,995 | $7,337 | $11,977 | -153% | Poor return | |
| 67 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC | Public | $41,988 | $12,250 | $20,500 | -153% | Poor return | |
| 68 | Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC | Private | $38,294 | $21,249 | $25,000 | -171% | Poor return | |
| 69 | Coastal Carolina Community College Jacksonville, NC | Public | $43,149 | $9,461 | — | -198% | Poor return | |
| 70 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC | Public | $36,705 | $14,906 | $23,870 | -221% | Poor return | |
| 71 | Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, NC | Public | $42,743 | $7,200 | $10,000 | -225% | Poor return | |
| 72 | Carteret Community College Morehead City, NC | Public | $42,115 | $10,764 | — | -234% | Poor return | |
| 73 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC | Public | $40,369 | $6,364 | $21,463 | -239% | Poor return | |
| 74 | Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Hudson, NC | Public | $41,442 | $10,810 | $8,750 | -243% | Poor return | |
| 75 | Carolina University Winston-Salem, NC | Private | $31,209 | $20,828 | $20,287 | -252% | Poor return | |
| 76 | Livingstone College Salisbury, NC | Private | $35,042 | $13,479 | $31,125 | -253% | Poor return | |
| 77 | Nash Community College Rocky Mount, NC | Public | $43,154 | $3,338 | $11,500 | -270% | Poor return | |
| 78 | McDowell Technical Community College Marion, NC | Public | $42,180 | $7,784 | — | -281% | Poor return | |
| 79 | Southeastern College-Charlotte Charlotte, NC | For-profit | $31,999 | $30,611 | $9,500 | -301% | Poor return | |
| 80 | Randolph Community College Asheboro, NC | Public | $42,051 | $6,918 | — | -313% | Poor return | |
| 81 | Louisburg College Louisburg, NC | Private | $33,822 | $22,694 | $12,000 | -325% | Poor return | |
| 82 | Miller-Motte College-Raleigh Raleigh, NC | For-profit | $32,542 | $22,736 | $15,917 | -343% | Poor return | |
| 83 | Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown, NC | Public | $35,779 | $15,002 | $14,901 | -360% | Poor return | |
| 84 | Southwestern Community College Sylva, NC | Public | $41,286 | $5,207 | $10,500 | -361% | Poor return | |
| 85 | Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville Fayetteville, NC | For-profit | $29,387 | $26,409 | $15,917 | -366% | Poor return | |
| 86 | Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Salisbury, NC | Public | $39,283 | $7,981 | $9,458 | -395% | Poor return | |
| 87 | Roanoke-Chowan Community College Ahoskie, NC | Public | $41,521 | $5,570 | — | -412% | Poor return | |
| 88 | Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville Jacksonville, NC | For-profit | $27,886 | $23,535 | $15,917 | -424% | Poor return | |
| 89 | Stanly Community College Albemarle, NC | Public | $41,015 | $5,721 | — | -448% | Poor return | |
| 90 | Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville, NC | Public | $37,417 | $8,753 | $10,500 | -456% | Poor return | |
| 91 | Isothermal Community College Spindale, NC | Public | $37,009 | $10,758 | — | -471% | Poor return | |
| 92 | Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville, NC | Public | $34,004 | $11,602 | $15,528 | -481% | Poor return | |
| 93 | Gwinnett College Raleigh, NC | For-profit | $29,926 | $30,219 | $7,917 | -555% | Poor return | |
| 94 | Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC | Public | $39,536 | $3,589 | $11,500 | -581% | Poor return | |
| 95 | Vance-Granville Community College Henderson, NC | Public | $41,565 | $3,286 | — | -623% | Poor return | |
| 96 | South Piedmont Community College Polkton, NC | Public | $37,935 | $6,675 | — | -629% | Poor return | |
| 97 | Mitchell Community College Statesville, NC | Public | $37,548 | $6,481 | — | -675% | Poor return | |
| 98 | Bladen Community College Dublin, NC | Public | $33,801 | $9,551 | — | -686% | Poor return | |
| 99 | Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | For-profit | $29,975 | $20,736 | $6,333 | -752% | Poor return | |
| 100 | Gaston College Dallas, NC | Public | $36,078 | $6,592 | — | -777% | Poor return | |
| 101 | Paul Mitchell the School-Charlotte Charlotte, NC | For-profit | $25,628 | $23,033 | $12,874 | -799% | Poor return | |
| 102 | College of Wilmington Wilmington, NC | For-profit | $25,890 | $23,108 | $9,423 | -820% | Poor return | |
| 103 | Rockingham Community College Wentworth, NC | Public | $41,900 | $2,060 | — | -852% | Poor return | |
| 104 | Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh Raleigh, NC | For-profit | $28,387 | $18,166 | $10,500 | -855% | Poor return | |
| 105 | Alamance Community College Graham, NC | Public | $35,312 | $6,109 | — | -893% | Poor return | |
| 106 | Haywood Community College Clyde, NC | Public | $34,112 | $6,723 | — | -910% | Poor return | |
| 107 | Southeastern Community College Whiteville, NC | Public | $29,319 | $9,148 | — | -957% | Poor return | |
| 108 | Western Piedmont Community College Morganton, NC | Public | $33,747 | $6,448 | — | -973% | Poor return | |
| 109 | Beaufort County Community College Washington, NC | Public | $33,430 | $6,500 | — | -990% | Poor return | |
| 110 | Wayne Community College Goldsboro, NC | Public | $38,746 | $2,245 | $6,500 | -1,012% | Poor return | |
| 111 | Paul Mitchell the School-Fayetteville Fayetteville, NC | For-profit | $23,322 | $18,496 | $11,740 | -1,052% | Poor return | |
| 112 | Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology Mooresville, NC | For-profit | $24,788 | $17,000 | $9,833 | -1,082% | Poor return | |
| 113 | Center for Massage Asheville, NC | For-profit | $23,682 | $18,631 | $6,333 | -1,118% | Poor return | |
| 114 | Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro Greensboro, NC | For-profit | $22,594 | $16,932 | $13,583 | -1,124% | Poor return | |
| 115 | Empire Beauty School-Pineville Charlotte, NC | For-profit | $22,913 | $15,672 | $13,000 | -1,182% | Poor return | |
| 116 | Empire Beauty School-Concord Concord, NC | For-profit | $22,913 | $14,750 | $13,000 | -1,233% | Poor return | |
| 117 | Central Carolina Community College Sanford, NC | Public | $32,376 | $5,446 | — | -1,259% | Poor return | |
| 118 | Lenoir Community College Kinston, NC | Public | $35,407 | $4,127 | — | -1,262% | Poor return | |
| 119 | Surry Community College Dobson, NC | Public | $33,381 | $4,961 | — | -1,271% | Poor return | |
| 120 | Empire Beauty School-Winston-Salem Winston-Salem, NC | For-profit | $21,000 | $16,503 | $10,667 | -1,277% | Poor return | |
| 121 | Empire Beauty School-Charlotte Charlotte, NC | For-profit | $19,913 | $16,089 | $10,667 | -1,356% | Poor return | |
| 122 | Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design Greenville, NC | For-profit | $25,050 | $11,495 | $8,750 | -1,459% | Poor return | |
| 123 | Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, NC | Public | $33,425 | $4,157 | — | -1,492% | Poor return | |
| 124 | Craven Community College New Bern, NC | Public | $35,805 | $3,289 | — | -1,498% | Poor return | |
| 125 | Winston Salem Barber School Winston-Salem, NC | For-profit | $23,139 | $14,610 | — | -1,596% | Poor return | |
| 126 | Richmond Community College Hamlet, NC | Public | $29,538 | $5,071 | — | -1,625% | Poor return | |
| 127 | Robeson Community College Lumberton, NC | Public | $35,580 | $2,892 | — | -1,729% | Poor return | |
| 128 | Martin Community College Williamston, NC | Public | $36,076 | $2,676 | — | -1,767% | Poor return | |
| 129 | Johnston Community College Smithfield, NC | Public | $39,029 | $1,776 | — | -1,781% | Poor return | |
| 130 | Cleveland Community College Shelby, NC | Public | $39,336 | $995 | — | -2,946% | Poor return | |
| 131 | James Sprunt Community College Kenansville, NC | Public | $29,507 | $1,863 | — | -4,258% | Poor return | |
| 132 | Piedmont Community College Roxboro, NC | Public | $33,447 | $1,095 | — | -5,375% | Poor return |
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North Carolina college statistics
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.