2022 best colleges in North Carolina 
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Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Admission rate: 8%
Grad rate: 96%
Net cost: $27,020
Payback: 1.6 Years
Earnings: $93,115
Vs. state average: + $51,044
Economic score: 0.70
Go to School
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Admission rate: 26%
Grad rate: 90%
Net cost: $12,352
Payback: 1.3 Years
Earnings: $61,915
Vs. state average: + $19,844
Economic score: 0.86
Go to School
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Admission rate: 75%
Grad rate: 46%
Net cost: $2,350
Payback: Under a year
Earnings: $35,274
Vs. state average: - $6,797
Economic score: 1.01
Go to School
Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina
Admission rate: 20%
Grad rate: 91%
Net cost: $19,115
Payback: 2.0 Years
Earnings: $71,671
Vs. state average: + $29,600
Economic score: 1.15
Go to School
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Admission rate: 47%
Grad rate: 81%
Net cost: $16,458
Payback: 1.8 Years
Earnings: $61,353
Vs. state average: + $19,282
Economic score: 1.26
Go to School
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Admission rate: 32%
Grad rate: 89%
Net cost: $29,990
Payback: 2.3 Years
Earnings: $74,968
Vs. state average: + $32,897
Economic score: 1.29
Go to School
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Admission rate: 80%
Grad rate: 61%
Net cost: $16,529
Payback: 2.5 Years
Earnings: $52,252
Vs. state average: + $10,181
Economic score: 2.02
Go to School
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Admission rate: 80%
Grad rate: 44%
Net cost: $5,899
Payback: 1.9 Years
Earnings: $36,409
Vs. state average: - $5,662
Economic score: 2.24
Go to School
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina
Admission rate: 72%
Grad rate: 83%
Net cost: $37,230
Payback: 3.6 Years
Earnings: $64,238
Vs. state average: + $22,167
Economic score: 2.35
Go to School
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
Admission rate: 80%
Grad rate: 73%
Net cost: $13,920
Payback: 2.6 Years
Earnings: $45,602
Vs. state average: + $3,531
Economic score: 2.37
Go to School
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
Admission rate: 88%
Grad rate: 68%
Net cost: $15,844
Payback: 2.8 Years
Earnings: $47,403
Vs. state average: + $5,332
Economic score: 2.49
Go to School
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Admission rate: 88%
Grad rate: 57%
Net cost: $12,748
Payback: 2.6 Years
Earnings: $44,195
Vs. state average: + $2,124
Economic score: 2.49
Go to School
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Admission rate: 68%
Grad rate: 73%
Net cost: $19,055
Payback: 2.9 Years
Earnings: $49,739
Vs. state average: + $7,668
Economic score: 2.49
Go to School
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Admission rate: 80%
Grad rate: 62%
Net cost: $12,061
Payback: 2.6 Years
Earnings: $42,027
Vs. state average: - $44
Economic score: 2.63
Go to School
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina
Admission rate: 57%
Grad rate: 54%
Net cost: $10,274
Payback: 2.6 Years
Earnings: $41,157
Vs. state average: - $914
Economic score: 2.65
Go to School
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Admission rate: 69%
Grad rate: 51%
Net cost: $25,078
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $52,880
Vs. state average: + $10,809
Economic score: 2.69
Go to School
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina
Admission rate: 49%
Grad rate: 64%
Net cost: $13,722
Payback: 2.9 Years
Earnings: $43,366
Vs. state average: + $1,295
Economic score: 2.77
Go to School
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, North Carolina
Admission rate: 92%
Grad rate: 46%
Net cost: $10,228
Payback: 2.8 Years
Earnings: $39,279
Vs. state average: - $2,792
Economic score: 3.05
Go to School
Wingate University
Wingate, North Carolina
Admission rate: 74%
Grad rate: 54%
Net cost: $18,759
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $46,233
Vs. state average: + $4,162
Economic score: 3.10
Go to School
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Hickory, North Carolina
Admission rate: 77%
Grad rate: 55%
Net cost: $18,924
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $45,457
Vs. state average: + $3,386
Economic score: 3.19
Go to School