Colleges Whose Graduates Earn the Most in North Carolina
Ranked by median earnings 10 years after entry (100 colleges with at least 200 undergraduates). Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
| # | College | Median earnings 10 years after entry | Net price | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University Durham, NC · Private nonprofit | $97,800 | $29,612 | $97,800 |
| 2 | Chamberlain University-North Carolina Charlotte, NC · Private for-profit | $92,405 | $38,436 | $92,405 |
| 3 | Davidson College Davidson, NC · Private nonprofit | $81,400 | $17,379 | $81,400 |
| 4 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit | $78,158 | $28,719 | $78,158 |
| 5 | Elon University Elon, NC · Private nonprofit | $74,545 | $41,555 | $74,545 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC · Public | $72,200 | $11,655 | $72,200 |
| 7 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public | $68,758 | $17,303 | $68,758 |
| 8 | Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte, NC · Public | $64,624 | — | $64,624 |
| 9 | Galen Health Institutes-Asheville Asheville, NC · Private for-profit | $61,480 | $28,602 | $61,480 |
| 10 | High Point University High Point, NC · Private nonprofit | $61,389 | $38,707 | $61,389 |
| 11 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, NC · Private nonprofit | $58,708 | $17,618 | $58,708 |
| 12 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC · Private nonprofit | $57,673 | $30,857 | $57,673 |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC · Public | $57,289 | $15,435 | $57,289 |
| 14 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC · Public | $55,146 | $15,739 | $55,146 |
| 15 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC · Public | $54,967 | $20,109 | $54,967 |
| 16 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC · Private nonprofit | $54,886 | $24,516 | $54,886 |
| 17 | Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville Mooresville, NC · Private for-profit | $52,873 | $28,915 | $52,873 |
| 18 | Wingate University Wingate, NC · Private nonprofit | $52,649 | $20,748 | $52,649 |
| 19 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC · Public | $51,836 | $16,836 | $51,836 |
| 20 | Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, NC · Private nonprofit | $51,562 | $19,076 | $51,562 |
| 21 | Meredith College Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit | $51,539 | $22,488 | $51,539 |
| 22 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC · Public | $49,458 | $13,315 | $49,458 |
| 23 | Catawba College Salisbury, NC · Private nonprofit | $48,793 | $17,879 | $48,793 |
| 24 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC · Public | $48,160 | $10,965 | $48,160 |
| 25 | Methodist University Fayetteville, NC · Private nonprofit | $48,050 | $24,704 | $48,050 |
| 26 | Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC · Private nonprofit | $48,039 | $17,674 | $48,039 |
| 27 | Belmont Abbey College Belmont, NC · Private nonprofit | $47,937 | $24,639 | $47,937 |
| 28 | Barton College Wilson, NC · Private nonprofit | $47,913 | $23,626 | $47,913 |
| 29 | Guilford College Greensboro, NC · Private nonprofit | $47,590 | $22,270 | $47,590 |
| 30 | University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC · Private nonprofit | $47,139 | $18,853 | $47,139 |
| 31 | William Peace University Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit | $46,643 | $21,649 | $46,643 |
| 32 | Greensboro College Greensboro, NC · Private nonprofit | $46,566 | $17,882 | $46,566 |
| 33 | North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount, NC · Private nonprofit | $45,873 | $17,432 | $45,873 |
| 34 | Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, NC · Private nonprofit | $45,543 | $20,689 | $45,543 |
| 35 | Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC · Public | $45,344 | $13,479 | $45,344 |
| 36 | Montreat College Montreat, NC · Private nonprofit | $45,151 | $27,061 | $45,151 |
| 37 | Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC · Private nonprofit | $44,781 | $19,910 | $44,781 |
| 38 | Salem College Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit | $44,640 | $18,277 | $44,640 |
| 39 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC · Public | $44,440 | $10,846 | $44,440 |
| 40 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC · Public | $44,030 | $12,250 | $44,030 |
| 41 | Brevard College Brevard, NC · Private nonprofit | $43,545 | $23,509 | $43,545 |
| 42 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte, NC · Private nonprofit | $43,418 | $27,426 | $43,418 |
| 43 | Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, NC · Private nonprofit | $43,415 | $28,340 | $43,415 |
| 44 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC · Public | $43,407 | $10,260 | $43,407 |
| 45 | North Carolina Central University Durham, NC · Public | $42,968 | $15,359 | $42,968 |
| 46 | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte Charlotte, NC · Private for-profit | $42,759 | $25,733 | $42,759 |
| 47 | Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC · Private nonprofit | $42,680 | $20,894 | $42,680 |
| 48 | Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC · Public | $41,769 | $8,759 | $41,769 |
| 49 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC · Public | $40,144 | $7,892 | $40,144 |
| 50 | Strayer University-North Carolina Greensboro, NC · Private for-profit | $40,092 | — | $40,092 |
| 51 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC · Public | $40,026 | $6,364 | $40,026 |
| 52 | Cape Fear Community College Wilmington, NC · Public | $38,654 | $9,610 | $38,654 |
| 53 | Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC · Private nonprofit | $38,412 | $14,086 | $38,412 |
| 54 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC · Public | $38,357 | $14,906 | $38,357 |
| 55 | Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC · Public | $37,865 | $3,345 | $37,865 |
| 56 | Johnston Community College Smithfield, NC · Public | $37,310 | $1,776 | $37,310 |
| 57 | South Piedmont Community College Polkton, NC · Public | $37,308 | $6,675 | $37,308 |
| 58 | Pitt Community College Winterville, NC · Public | $37,259 | $7,337 | $37,259 |
| 59 | Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC · Public | $36,977 | $10,528 | $36,977 |
| 60 | Stanly Community College Albemarle, NC · Public | $36,686 | $5,721 | $36,686 |
| 61 | Brunswick Community College Bolivia, NC · Public | $36,668 | $9,009 | $36,668 |
| 62 | Coastal Carolina Community College Jacksonville, NC · Public | $36,444 | $9,461 | $36,444 |
| 63 | Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville, NC · Public | $36,337 | $8,753 | $36,337 |
| 64 | Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock, NC · Public | $36,324 | $5,756 | $36,324 |
| 65 | Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC · Private nonprofit | $36,260 | $21,249 | $36,260 |
| 66 | Durham Technical Community College Durham, NC · Public | $36,142 | $1,664 | $36,142 |
| 67 | Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville, NC · Public | $36,048 | $11,602 | $36,048 |
| 68 | Surry Community College Dobson, NC · Public | $36,012 | $4,961 | $36,012 |
| 69 | Gaston College Dallas, NC · Public | $35,386 | $6,592 | $35,386 |
| 70 | Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Salisbury, NC · Public | $34,936 | $7,981 | $34,936 |
| 71 | Nash Community College Rocky Mount, NC · Public | $34,912 | $3,338 | $34,912 |
| 72 | Louisburg College Louisburg, NC · Private nonprofit | $34,818 | $22,694 | $34,818 |
| 73 | Haywood Community College Clyde, NC · Public | $34,770 | $6,723 | $34,770 |
| 74 | Wilkes Community College Wilkesboro, NC · Public | $34,728 | $-264 | $34,728 |
| 75 | Mayland Community College Spruce Pine, NC · Public | $34,663 | $5,861 | $34,663 |
| 76 | Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Hudson, NC · Public | $34,515 | $10,810 | $34,515 |
| 77 | Shaw University Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit | $34,409 | $16,512 | $34,409 |
| 78 | Vance-Granville Community College Henderson, NC · Public | $34,304 | $3,286 | $34,304 |
| 79 | Alamance Community College Graham, NC · Public | $34,241 | $6,109 | $34,241 |
| 80 | Craven Community College New Bern, NC · Public | $34,231 | $3,289 | $34,231 |
| 81 | Western Piedmont Community College Morganton, NC · Public | $34,195 | $6,448 | $34,195 |
| 82 | Wayne Community College Goldsboro, NC · Public | $34,148 | $2,245 | $34,148 |
| 83 | Southwestern Community College Sylva, NC · Public | $34,145 | $5,207 | $34,145 |
| 84 | Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, NC · Public | $34,139 | $7,200 | $34,139 |
| 85 | Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown, NC · Public | $33,934 | $15,002 | $33,934 |
| 86 | Lenoir Community College Kinston, NC · Public | $33,866 | $4,127 | $33,866 |
| 87 | Cleveland Community College Shelby, NC · Public | $33,755 | $995 | $33,755 |
| 88 | Central Carolina Community College Sanford, NC · Public | $33,525 | $5,446 | $33,525 |
| 89 | Sampson Community College Clinton, NC · Public | $33,409 | $3,108 | $33,409 |
| 90 | Carteret Community College Morehead City, NC · Public | $33,357 | $10,764 | $33,357 |
| 91 | Randolph Community College Asheboro, NC · Public | $33,336 | $6,918 | $33,336 |
| 92 | Isothermal Community College Spindale, NC · Public | $33,325 | $10,758 | $33,325 |
| 93 | Mitchell Community College Statesville, NC · Public | $33,298 | $6,481 | $33,298 |
| 94 | Piedmont Community College Roxboro, NC · Public | $33,274 | $1,095 | $33,274 |
| 95 | Edgecombe Community College Tarboro, NC · Public | $33,267 | $0 | $33,267 |
| 96 | College of the Albemarle Elizabeth City, NC · Public | $33,234 | $2,253 | $33,234 |
| 97 | McDowell Technical Community College Marion, NC · Public | $33,035 | $7,784 | $33,035 |
| 98 | Wilson Community College Wilson, NC · Public | $32,973 | $3,064 | $32,973 |
| 99 | Carolina University Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit | $32,864 | $20,828 | $32,864 |
| 100 | Montgomery Community College Troy, NC · Public | $32,742 | $13,832 | $32,742 |