Ranking

Best Engineering, General Colleges in North Carolina 2026

29 North Carolina colleges offering Engineering, General, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $1,664
Top earnings 10y: $97,800
Public / Private: 23 / 2

Durham Technical Community College

A+

Durham, NC · Public

ROI score: 54.30
Net price: $1,664
Earnings 10y: $36,142
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Johnston Community College

A+

Smithfield, NC · Public

ROI score: 52.52
Net price: $1,776
Earnings 10y: $37,310
Acceptance: Open / not reported

College of the Albemarle

A+

Elizabeth City, NC · Public

ROI score: 36.88
Net price: $2,253
Earnings 10y: $33,234
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Central Piedmont Community College

A+

Charlotte, NC · Public

ROI score: 28.30
Net price: $3,345
Earnings 10y: $37,865
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Craven Community College

A+

New Bern, NC · Public

ROI score: 26.02
Net price: $3,289
Earnings 10y: $34,231
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Sandhills Community College

A+

Pinehurst, NC · Public

ROI score: 19.04
Net price: $4,157
Earnings 10y: $31,656
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Central Carolina Community College

Sanford, NC · Public

ROI score: 15.39
Net price: $5,446
Earnings 10y: $33,525
Acceptance: Open / not reported

South Piedmont Community College

Polkton, NC · Public

ROI score: 13.97
Net price: $6,675
Earnings 10y: $37,308
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Haywood Community College

Clyde, NC · Public

ROI score: 12.93
Net price: $6,723
Earnings 10y: $34,770
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#10

Mitchell Community College

Statesville, NC · Public

ROI score: 12.84
Net price: $6,481
Earnings 10y: $33,298
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#11

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC · Public

ROI score: 11.85
Net price: $7,200
Earnings 10y: $34,139
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#12

McDowell Technical Community College

Marion, NC · Public

ROI score: 10.61
Net price: $7,784
Earnings 10y: $33,035
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#13

Brunswick Community College

Bolivia, NC · Public

ROI score: 10.18
Net price: $9,009
Earnings 10y: $36,668
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#14

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC · Public

ROI score: 10.06
Net price: $9,610
Earnings 10y: $38,654
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#15

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC · Public

ROI score: 9.93
Net price: $17,303
Earnings 10y: $68,758
Acceptance: 41.7%

#16

Coastal Carolina Community College

Jacksonville, NC · Public

ROI score: 9.63
Net price: $9,461
Earnings 10y: $36,444
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#17

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC · Public

ROI score: 9.29
Net price: $13,315
Earnings 10y: $49,458
Acceptance: 81.8%

#18

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC · Public

ROI score: 9.28
Net price: $15,435
Earnings 10y: $57,289
Acceptance: 79.6%

#19

University of North Carolina Asheville

Asheville, NC · Public

ROI score: 8.99
Net price: $12,250
Earnings 10y: $44,030
Acceptance: 91.9%

#20

Catawba Valley Community College

Hickory, NC · Public

ROI score: 8.78
Net price: $10,528
Earnings 10y: $36,977
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#21

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC · Public

ROI score: 8.76
Net price: $15,739
Earnings 10y: $55,146
Acceptance: 89.2%

#22

Halifax Community College

Weldon, NC · Public

ROI score: 8.75
Net price: $9,040
Earnings 10y: $31,644
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#23

Duke University

Durham, NC · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 8.26
Net price: $29,612
Earnings 10y: $97,800
Acceptance: 5.7%

#24

Bladen Community College

Dublin, NC · Public

ROI score: 8.01
Net price: $9,551
Earnings 10y: $30,591
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#25

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.80
Net price: $28,719
Earnings 10y: $78,158
Acceptance: 21.7%

How we picked this list

This list starts with North Carolina schools with positive Engineering, General program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 16.45 (23 public, 2 private).

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Durham Technical Community College in Durham, NC tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi score 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?

29 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.