Ranking
Best Economics Colleges in North Carolina 2026
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill leads this ROI ranking with an A value grade and a 15.49 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 21 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.
21 eligible North Carolina colleges reporting awards in Economics, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.
- Schools ranked
- 21
- Cheapest net price
- $10,846
- Top earnings 10y
- $97,800
- Public / Private
- 10 / 11
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A- ROI proxy
- 15.49
- Net price
- $11,655
- Earnings 10y
- $72,200
- Acceptance
- 15.3%
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%
North Carolina A & T State University
B- ROI proxy
- 10.24
- Net price
- $10,846
- Earnings 10y
- $44,440
- Acceptance
- 49.9%
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
B- ROI proxy
- 9.93
- Net price
- $17,303
- Earnings 10y
- $68,758
- Acceptance
- 41.7%
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%
East Carolina University
B- ROI proxy
- 8.76
- Net price
- $15,739
- Earnings 10y
- $55,146
- Acceptance
- 89.2%
Winston-Salem State University
B- ROI proxy
- 8.41
- Net price
- $13,479
- Earnings 10y
- $45,344
- Acceptance
- 78.3%
Duke University
B- ROI proxy
- 8.26
- Net price
- $29,612
- Earnings 10y
- $97,800
- Acceptance
- 5.7%
Appalachian State University
B- ROI proxy
- 7.70
- Net price
- $16,836
- Earnings 10y
- $51,836
- Acceptance
- 90.1%
University of North Carolina Wilmington
C- ROI proxy
- 6.83
- Net price
- $20,109
- Earnings 10y
- $54,967
- Acceptance
- 64.2%
Catawba College
C- ROI proxy
- 6.82
- Net price
- $17,879
- Earnings 10y
- $48,793
- Acceptance
- 75.2%
Wake Forest University
C- ROI proxy
- 6.80
- Net price
- $28,719
- Earnings 10y
- $78,158
- Acceptance
- 21.7%
Meredith College
C- ROI proxy
- 5.73
- Net price
- $22,488
- Earnings 10y
- $51,539
- Acceptance
- 74.2%
Campbell University
C- ROI proxy
- 5.60
- Net price
- $24,516
- Earnings 10y
- $54,886
- Acceptance
- 87.2%
Lenoir-Rhyne University
C- ROI proxy
- 5.50
- Net price
- $20,689
- Earnings 10y
- $45,543
- Acceptance
- 84.6%
Guilford College
D- ROI proxy
- 5.34
- Net price
- $22,270
- Earnings 10y
- $47,590
- Acceptance
- 80%
Belmont Abbey College
D- ROI proxy
- 4.86
- Net price
- $24,639
- Earnings 10y
- $47,937
- Acceptance
- 74.7%
Elon University
D- ROI proxy
- 4.48
- Net price
- $41,555
- Earnings 10y
- $74,545
- Acceptance
- 66.4%
High Point University
D- ROI proxy
- 3.96
- Net price
- $38,707
- Earnings 10y
- $61,389
- Acceptance
- 75.3%
How we picked this list
This list starts with North Carolina schools reporting awards in Economics, 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 7.89 (10 public, 11 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?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, 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?
21 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.