Higher Education Outcome Report · South

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North Carolina Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 99 degree-granting institutions graded

North Carolina's higher education system is a below-average mobility and lower earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $44,179, -14% vs the national median.

banking & fintech
biotech & pharma
technology

159
INSTITUTIONS: $44,179
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▼ -14% vs natl; $15,747
AVG NET PRICE: 75 / 49
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

C+

34/100 · #46 of 50

North Carolina At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

99

339,231 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~49,568

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
8th pct

$40,408

46th of 50 states
Mobility Score
30th pct

1.3%

32nd of 46 states
Talent Retention
50th pct

73%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
36th pct

2.6x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Healthcare
Humanities

Executive Summary

North Carolina graduates earn a median of $40,408 a decade after entry, 17% below the national state average, ranking 46th of 50 states.
Upward mobility sits mid-pack: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.3% rate, in the 30th percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Healthcare, which together account for 32% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 27.5% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, North Carolina returns 2.6x earnings per dollar of net price, below average cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.
The state's strongest mobility engine is Bennett College, which moves bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 3.9% rate, the highest in North Carolina.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

-9.3%

Median graduate earnings in North Carolina are below the national average by 9%.
Cost vs National

-19.1%

Net price in North Carolina is lower than the national average by 19%.
Mobility Rate

-0.51pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.5 percentage points below the national average.
Completion Rate

-7.3pp

North Carolina's graduation rate is 7.3 percentage points below the national average.
Best Value

33.9x

Top value school: Cleveland Community College ($33,755 earnings vs $995 net price).
Top Mobility School

3.9%

Highest mobility rate: Bennett College at 3.9%.

Education Output Profile

Business (19% of graduates) and Healthcare (13% of graduates) dominate North Carolina's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $44,929.

Business

19%

$44,929 avg
Healthcare

13%

$46,850 avg
Humanities

12%

$36,830 avg
Social Sciences

11%

$52,593 avg
Sciences

9%

$51,734 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 11

Outcome Performance

North Carolina's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Construction Trades), where graduates average $33,925 against a net cost of $6,596, a 5.1x return. That's -34.2% vs the national median. At the other end, Psychology produces $49,211 at a 2.4x return, less than half what the top cluster delivers.

Construction Trades
5.1x

$33,925 earnings $6,596 net -34.2% vs natl
Legal Studies
4.9x

$35,962 earnings $7,320 net -30.3% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
4.9x

$34,533 earnings $7,098 net -33% vs natl
Precision Production
4.8x

$34,693 earnings $7,197 net -32.7% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
4.7x

$34,138 earnings $7,272 net -33.8% vs natl
Transportation
4.5x

$37,383 earnings $8,240 net -27.5% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on North Carolina's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 19%
Health Professions 13%
Humanities 11%
Biology & Biomedical 7%
Computer Science & IT 7%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $60,610
Social Sciences $56,630
Communications $55,689
Biology & Biomedical $50,717
Psychology $48,638

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun North Carolina's graduate supply.

Engineering $60,610 5% of grads
Social Sciences $56,630 6% of grads
Communications $55,689 4% of grads
Psychology $48,638 6% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

North Carolina's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.3%, which puts the state in the 30th percentile nationally. 14% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households, a larger share than most states enroll. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.06, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.3%

▼ -0.34pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

14%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

14%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

37%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

73%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.06

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Humanities graduates, however, earn 27.5% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Business
19% of enrollment

$42,893 -16.8% vs natl

78 schools
Healthcare
13% of enrollment

$43,960 -14.8% vs natl

67 schools
Humanities
12% of enrollment

$37,409 -27.5% vs natl

44 schools
Social Sciences
11% of enrollment

$49,686 -3.7% vs natl

44 schools
Sciences
9% of enrollment

$50,463 -2.2% vs natl

40 schools
Technology
8% of enrollment

$44,883 -13% vs natl

31 schools

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -27.5% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Business: -16.8% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Healthcare: -14.8% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

North Carolina's higher education system includes 6 research-oriented, 11 specialized, 23 access-oriented, 59 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

6

Research Universities
59

Regional Universities
23

Access-Oriented Institutions
11

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

47% of North Carolina's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $37,127 at 10 years. At the premium end, 1 school charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $74,545.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

43

47% of schools
Avg earnings: $37,127
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

36

40% of schools
Avg earnings: $46,918
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

11

12% of schools
Avg earnings: $60,947
NET PRICE OVER $40K

1

1% of schools
Avg earnings: $74,545

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in North Carolina

North Carolina is home to 159 colleges and universities, from 75 public institutions to 49 private nonprofits. North Carolina State University at Raleigh anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $39,774 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Business & Marketing, Health Professions and Humanities. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in North Carolina

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $14,628 a year across North Carolina. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

North Carolina's economy leans on banking & fintech, biotech & pharma and technology, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Business & Marketing, Health Professions and Humanities feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the North Carolina level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in North Carolina earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$39,774

▼ $-4,063 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$14,628

▲ $-3,448 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.7x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

HBCUs in North Carolina

Is North Carolina Right for You?

North Carolina is a strong fit if you want to build a career in banking & fintech and biotech & pharma, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Duke University · NC Chamberlain University-North Carolina · NC Davidson College · NC Wake Forest University · NC Elon University · NC University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · NC

FAQ

How many colleges are in North Carolina?

There are 159 colleges and universities in North Carolina in our dataset — 75 public, 49 private nonprofit, including 10 HBCUs.

What is the highest-earning college in North Carolina?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Duke University leads, followed by schools like Chamberlain University-North Carolina and Davidson College.

How much does college cost in North Carolina?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $14,628 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in North Carolina?

North Carolina's economy is anchored by banking & fintech, biotech & pharma and technology, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in North Carolina?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 159 schools in North Carolina

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

159 institutions in North Carolina

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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