PlainCollege

State profile · 168 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in North Carolina

Colleges in North Carolina from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

168
Colleges
$39,627
Avg 10-yr earnings (147 of 168)
67.5%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

North Carolina · the picture in one line

North Carolina's 147 of 168 colleges that report earnings average $39,627 in 10-year former-student earnings - 40th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#40
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$97,800
top earnings - Duke University
67.5%
avg acceptance (59 reporting)
76 / 52 / 40
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among North Carolina colleges with reported figures: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

North Carolina · enrollment ≠ earnings

In North Carolina, North Carolina State University at Raleigh leads by undergraduate enrollment (27,371 students, #1 of 141) but ranks #7 of 141 on 10-year median earnings ($68,758), while Duke University tops earnings at $97,800 (#1 of 141) with 6,442 students (#17 of 141). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

27,371
North Carolina enrollment #1
$97,800
Duke University earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#7
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of North Carolina's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows North Carolina State University at Raleigh is largest by enrollment; Duke University leads on 10-year earnings at $97,800.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in North Carolina returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in North Carolina as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in North Carolina by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: North Carolina

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

North Carolina colleges: earnings vs. cost

North Carolina colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. North Carolina colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $27K $76K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $3K $21K Avg Net Price ($) North Carolina State University at Raleigh: $69K earn · $17K net · 85% grad North Carolina Sta… University of North Carolina at Charlotte: $57K earn · $15K net · 68% grad University of Nort… University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: $72K earn · $12K net · 92% grad University of Nort… East Carolina University: $55K earn · $16K net · 62% grad East Carolina Univ… Wake Technical Community College: $42K earn · $9K net · 32% grad Wake Technical Com… Appalachian State University: $52K earn · $17K net · 74% grad Appalachian State … Central Piedmont Community College: $38K earn · $3K net · 29% grad University of North Carolina Wilmington: $55K earn · $20K net · 71% grad University of North Carolina at Greensboro: $48K earn · $11K net · 57% grad North Carolina A & T State University: $44K earn · $11K net · 56% grad Western Carolina University: $49K earn · $13K net · 60% grad Cape Fear Community College: $39K earn · $10K net · 34% grad Fayetteville Technical Community College: $32K earn · $4K net · 22% grad Guilford Technical Community College: $34K earn · $15K net · 31% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How North Carolina ranks among the states

North Carolina's average 10-year earnings of $39,627 place it in the 30th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

North Carolina: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$39,627 30th percentile higher than 30% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Above this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Above this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. NC $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

North Carolina vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in North Carolina

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - North Carolina

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
168
Total Schools
$14,116
Avg In-State Tuition (133 of 168)
67.5%
Avg Acceptance Rate (59 of 168)
$39,627
Avg Median Earnings (147 of 168)
76 Public 52 Private NP 40 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in North Carolina

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 168 postsecondary institutions in North Carolina. The ownership mix is 76 public institutions, 52 private nonprofits, and 40 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 133 of 168 North Carolina institutions that report one is $14,116, and the average admission rate among the 59 that report one sits at 67.5%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 147 of 168 North Carolina colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $39,627, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in North Carolina

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh Public 27,371 41.7% $68,758
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte Public 24,453 79.6% $57,289
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill Public 20,752 15.3% $72,200
East Carolina University Greenville Public 19,896 89.2% $55,146
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh Public 19,675 - $41,769
Appalachian State University Boone Public 19,444 90.1% $51,836
Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte Public 15,067 - $37,865
University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington Public 14,922 64.2% $54,967
University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro Public 14,062 88.5% $48,160
North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro Public 12,182 49.9% $44,440
Western Carolina University Cullowhee Public 10,024 81.8% $49,458
Cape Fear Community College Wilmington Public 9,764 - $38,654
Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville Public 9,471 - $31,861
Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown Public 9,260 - $33,934
Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem Public 7,113 - $34,139
Elon University Elon Private NP 6,452 66.3% $74,545
Duke University Durham Private NP 6,442 5.7% $97,800
North Carolina Central University Durham Public 6,081 87.0% $42,968
Fayetteville State University Fayetteville Public 5,762 82.2% $40,144
Wake Forest University Winston-Salem Private NP 5,485 21.7% $78,158
University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke Public 5,330 93.3% $43,407
Pitt Community College Winterville Public 5,317 - $37,259
High Point University High Point Private NP 5,129 75.3% $61,389
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville Public 5,110 - $36,048
Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem Public 4,170 78.3% $45,344
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Salisbury Public 4,164 - $34,936
Durham Technical Community College Durham Public 3,890 - $36,142
Gaston College Dallas Public 3,518 - $35,386
Johnston Community College Smithfield Public 3,453 - $37,310
Central Carolina Community College Sanford Public 3,237 - $33,525
Alamance Community College Graham Public 3,080 - $34,241
University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville Public 2,910 91.9% $44,030
Catawba Valley Community College Hickory Public 2,741 - $36,977
Wayne Community College Goldsboro Public 2,739 - $34,148
Coastal Carolina Community College Jacksonville Public 2,724 - $36,444
Campbell University Buies Creek Private NP 2,680 87.2% $54,886
Strayer University-North Carolina Greensboro For-Profit 2,671 - $40,092
Wingate University Wingate Private NP 2,668 91.1% $52,649
Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville Public 2,633 - $36,337
Sandhills Community College Pinehurst Public 2,539 - $31,656
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Hudson Public 2,393 - $34,515
College of the Albemarle Elizabeth City Public 2,001 - $33,234
Craven Community College New Bern Public 1,989 - $34,231
Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City Public 1,975 64.2% $40,026
Mitchell Community College Statesville Public 1,948 - $33,298
Davidson College Davidson Private NP 1,867 13.4% $81,400
Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs Private NP 1,856 77.2% $48,039
South Piedmont Community College Polkton Public 1,833 - $37,308
University of Mount Olive Mount Olive Private NP 1,796 75.8% $47,139
Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock Public 1,758 - $36,324
Nash Community College Rocky Mount Public 1,689 - $34,912
Vance-Granville Community College Henderson Public 1,665 - $34,304
Robeson Community College Lumberton Public 1,551 - $29,036
Surry Community College Dobson Public 1,475 - $36,012
Lenoir Community College Kinston Public 1,469 - $33,866
MyComputerCareer at Raleigh Raleigh For-Profit 1,466 - -
Stanly Community College Albemarle Public 1,465 - $36,686
Methodist University Fayetteville Private NP 1,448 75.1% $48,050
Randolph Community College Asheboro Public 1,417 - $33,336
Edgecombe Community College Tarboro Public 1,397 - $33,267
Wilson Community College Wilson Public 1,373 - $32,973
Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory Private NP 1,359 84.6% $45,543
Wilkes Community College Wilkesboro Public 1,355 - $34,728
Richmond Community College Hamlet Public 1,352 - $29,951
Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville Mooresville For-Profit 1,345 - $52,873
Western Piedmont Community College Morganton Public 1,339 - $34,195
Belmont Abbey College Belmont Private NP 1,276 74.7% $47,937
Southwestern Community College Sylva Public 1,249 - $34,145
Johnson C Smith University Charlotte Private NP 1,244 45.2% $42,680
Catawba College Salisbury Private NP 1,235 75.2% $48,793
North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount Private NP 1,214 80.2% $45,873
Brunswick Community College Bolivia Public 1,211 - $36,668
Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte Private NP 1,211 62.1% $57,673
Meredith College Raleigh Private NP 1,188 74.2% $51,539
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte Private NP 1,184 79.9% $43,418
Carteret Community College Morehead City Public 1,172 - $33,357
Isothermal Community College Spindale Public 1,169 - $33,325
Cleveland Community College Shelby Public 1,097 - $33,755
Beaufort County Community College Washington Public 1,074 - $32,519
Rockingham Community College Wentworth Public 1,065 - $32,480
Mars Hill University Mars Hill Private NP 1,044 67.9% $44,781
Bladen Community College Dublin Public 1,030 - $30,591
Guilford College Greensboro Private NP 1,001 80.0% $47,590
Barton College Wilson Private NP 982 94.2% $47,913
University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem Public 945 30.0% $38,357
Livingstone College Salisbury Private NP 924 59.3% $32,600
Shaw University Raleigh Private NP 875 80.2% $34,409
Lees-McRae College Banner Elk Private NP 873 76.8% $43,415
Montgomery Community College Troy Public 852 - $32,742
Haywood Community College Clyde Public 849 - $34,770
Sampson Community College Clinton Public 846 - $33,409
Southeastern Community College Whiteville Public 820 - $30,284
Brevard College Brevard Private NP 815 42.2% $43,545
James Sprunt Community College Kenansville Public 799 - $29,307
Montreat College Montreat Private NP 762 69.2% $45,151
Halifax Community College Weldon Public 723 - $31,644
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord Private NP 712 23.4% $58,708
Greensboro College Greensboro Private NP 708 70.1% $46,566
Warren Wilson College Swannanoa Private NP 707 71.3% $36,260
William Peace University Raleigh Private NP 666 94.3% $46,643
Pfeiffer University Misenheimer Private NP 655 96.0% $51,562
McDowell Technical Community College Marion Public 608 - $33,035
Chowan University Murfreesboro Private NP 603 68.8% $38,412
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest Private NP 585 74.6% -
Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte Public 533 59.9% $64,624
Tri-County Community College Murphy Public 472 - $32,232
Carolina University Winston-Salem Private NP 460 39.5% $32,864
Piedmont Community College Roxboro Public 457 - $33,274
Salem College Winston-Salem Private NP 423 76.7% $44,640
Miller-Motte College-Raleigh Raleigh For-Profit 409 - $31,102
Louisburg College Louisburg Private NP 402 55.8% $34,818
Mayland Community College Spruce Pine Public 362 - $34,663
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte Charlotte For-Profit 344 - $42,759
Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville Fayetteville For-Profit 336 - $31,102
Martin Community College Williamston Public 313 - $26,016
Roanoke-Chowan Community College Ahoskie Public 309 - $29,324
Galen Health Institutes-Asheville Asheville For-Profit 253 - $61,480
Southeastern College-Charlotte Charlotte For-Profit 252 93.7% $31,548
Chamberlain University-North Carolina Charlotte For-Profit 202 100.0% $92,405
Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill For-Profit 198 - $26,873
Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville Jacksonville For-Profit 195 - $31,102
Manna University Fayetteville Private NP 183 52.7% -
Bennett College Greensboro Private NP 178 50.7% $36,654
Saint Augustine's University Raleigh Private NP 172 33.8% $35,730
Pamlico Community College Grantsboro Public 165 - $30,005
Carolina College of Biblical Studies Fayetteville Private NP 159 - $24,581
Paul Mitchell the School-Fayetteville Fayetteville For-Profit 149 - $26,696
Gwinnett College Raleigh For-Profit 146 - $29,234
College of Wilmington Wilmington For-Profit 132 - $19,235
Mid-Atlantic Christian University Elizabeth City Private NP 132 62.2% $38,342
Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh Raleigh For-Profit 130 - -
Watts College of Nursing Durham Private NP 124 - -
Empire Beauty School-Concord Concord For-Profit 110 - $23,925
Leons Beauty School Inc Greensboro For-Profit 102 - $26,958
Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro Greensboro For-Profit 99 - $24,407
Paul Mitchell the School-Charlotte Charlotte For-Profit 97 - $23,966
Empire Beauty School-Charlotte Charlotte For-Profit 90 - $24,022
Empire Beauty School-Winston-Salem Winston-Salem For-Profit 80 - $24,397
Empire Beauty School-Pineville Charlotte For-Profit 75 - $23,925
South University-High Point High Point For-Profit 67 - $34,421
Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College Wendell Private NP 64 - -
Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design Greenville For-Profit 55 - -
Carolina Christian College Winston Salem Private NP 52 - $40,672
Center for Massage Asheville For-Profit 51 - $19,244
Carolina College of Hair Design Inc Asheville For-Profit 46 - -
Bull City Durham Beauty and Barber College Durham For-Profit 41 - -
Beyond Measure Barbering Institute Mebane For-Profit 38 - -
One Stop Academy Fayetteville For-Profit 31 - -
Winston Salem Barber School Winston-Salem For-Profit 29 - $16,389
No Grease Barber School Charlotte For-Profit 28 - -
Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary Charlotte Private NP 24 - $33,696
Heritage Bible College Dunn Private NP 22 - $30,672
Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology Mooresville For-Profit 18 - $22,786
Hood Theological Seminary Salisbury Private NP - - -
Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts Asheville For-Profit - - -
Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine Sugar Grove Private NP - - -
Shepherds Theological Seminary Cary Private NP - - -
Circle of Love Academy Dudley For-Profit - - -
Dooby Shop School of Cosmetology Charlotte For-Profit - - -
Gaston College Dallas Public - - $35,386
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary-Nash County Extension Center Nashville Private NP - - -
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary-Wake County Extension Center Raleigh Private NP - - -
Winston - Salem Barber School - Satellite Greensboro For-Profit - - $16,389
South College-Asheville Asheville For-Profit - - $36,642
Union Presbyterian Seminary-Charlotte Charlotte Private NP - - -
ECPI University-Greensboro Greensboro For-Profit - - $42,837
ECPI University-Charlotte Charlotte For-Profit - - $42,837
ECPI University-Raleigh Raleigh For-Profit - - $42,837

Featured Colleges in North Carolina

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
27,371 students
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
24,453 students
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
20,752 students
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
19,896 students
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, NC
19,675 students
Compare North Carolina State University at Raleigh vs University of North Carolina at Charlotte →

Explore more North Carolina data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for North Carolina applicants

  • North Carolina has 168 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across North Carolina colleges is 67.5% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.