Ranking
Best Colleges in North Carolina by ROI 2026
Southwestern Community College leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 16.39 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 25 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.
Eligible North Carolina colleges ranked by school-wide graduate earnings against average net price, from federal data.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $5,207
- Top earnings 10y
- $81,400
- Public / Private
- 24 / 1
Southwestern Community College
A+- ROI proxy
- 16.39
- Net price
- $5,207
- Earnings 10y
- $34,145
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Elizabeth City State University
A- ROI proxy
- 15.72
- Net price
- $6,364
- Earnings 10y
- $40,026
- Acceptance
- 64.2%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A- ROI proxy
- 15.49
- Net price
- $11,655
- Earnings 10y
- $72,200
- Acceptance
- 15.3%
Central Carolina Community College
A- ROI proxy
- 15.39
- Net price
- $5,446
- Earnings 10y
- $33,525
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
South Piedmont Community College
A- ROI proxy
- 13.97
- Net price
- $6,675
- Earnings 10y
- $37,308
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Western Piedmont Community College
A- ROI proxy
- 13.26
- Net price
- $6,448
- Earnings 10y
- $34,195
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Haywood Community College
A- ROI proxy
- 12.93
- Net price
- $6,723
- Earnings 10y
- $34,770
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Mitchell Community College
A- ROI proxy
- 12.84
- Net price
- $6,481
- Earnings 10y
- $33,298
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Fayetteville State University
A- ROI proxy
- 12.72
- Net price
- $7,892
- Earnings 10y
- $40,144
- Acceptance
- 82.2%
Forsyth Technical Community College
A- ROI proxy
- 11.85
- Net price
- $7,200
- Earnings 10y
- $34,139
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Davidson College
A- ROI proxy
- 11.71
- Net price
- $17,379
- Earnings 10y
- $81,400
- Acceptance
- 13.4%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
A- ROI proxy
- 10.98
- Net price
- $10,965
- Earnings 10y
- $48,160
- Acceptance
- 88.5%
McDowell Technical Community College
B- ROI proxy
- 10.61
- Net price
- $7,784
- Earnings 10y
- $33,035
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
B- ROI proxy
- 10.58
- Net price
- $10,260
- Earnings 10y
- $43,407
- Acceptance
- 93.3%
North Carolina A & T State University
B- ROI proxy
- 10.24
- Net price
- $10,846
- Earnings 10y
- $44,440
- Acceptance
- 49.9%
Brunswick Community College
B- ROI proxy
- 10.18
- Net price
- $9,009
- Earnings 10y
- $36,668
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Cape Fear Community College
B- ROI proxy
- 10.06
- Net price
- $9,610
- Earnings 10y
- $38,654
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
B- ROI proxy
- 9.93
- Net price
- $17,303
- Earnings 10y
- $68,758
- Acceptance
- 41.7%
Coastal Carolina Community College
B- ROI proxy
- 9.63
- Net price
- $9,461
- Earnings 10y
- $36,444
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Western Carolina University
B- ROI proxy
- 9.29
- Net price
- $13,315
- Earnings 10y
- $49,458
- Acceptance
- 81.8%
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
B- ROI proxy
- 9.28
- Net price
- $15,435
- Earnings 10y
- $57,289
- Acceptance
- 79.6%
University of North Carolina Asheville
B- ROI proxy
- 8.99
- Net price
- $12,250
- Earnings 10y
- $44,030
- Acceptance
- 91.9%
Catawba Valley Community College
B- ROI proxy
- 8.78
- Net price
- $10,528
- Earnings 10y
- $36,977
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
East Carolina University
B- ROI proxy
- 8.76
- Net price
- $15,739
- Earnings 10y
- $55,146
- Acceptance
- 89.2%
Halifax Community College
B- ROI proxy
- 8.75
- Net price
- $9,040
- Earnings 10y
- $31,644
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
How we picked this list
This list starts with North Carolina colleges, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 11.53 (24 public, 1 private).
ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.
Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Southwestern Community College in Sylva, NC tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many North Carolina colleges are in this list?
66 North Carolina colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.
Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?
Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.