Ranking

Best Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Colleges in North Carolina 2026

15 North Carolina colleges offering Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 15
Cheapest net price: $3,289
Top earnings 10y: $97,800
Public / Private: 9 / 6

Craven Community College

A+

New Bern, NC · Public

ROI score: 26.02
Net price: $3,289
Earnings 10y: $34,231
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

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, NC · Public

ROI score: 12.72
Net price: $7,892
Earnings 10y: $40,144
Acceptance: 82.2%

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC · Public

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

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC · Public

ROI score: 10.98
Net price: $10,965
Earnings 10y: $48,160
Acceptance: 88.5%

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC · Public

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

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC · Public

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

Catawba Valley Community College

Hickory, NC · Public

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

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC · Public

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

#10

Duke University

Durham, NC · Private Non-Profit

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

#11

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.73
Net price: $22,488
Earnings 10y: $51,539
Acceptance: 74.2%

#12

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory, NC · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.50
Net price: $20,689
Earnings 10y: $45,543
Acceptance: 84.6%

#13

Elon University

Elon, NC · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 4.48
Net price: $41,555
Earnings 10y: $74,545
Acceptance: 66.4%

#14

High Point University

High Point, NC · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 3.96
Net price: $38,707
Earnings 10y: $61,389
Acceptance: 75.3%

#15

Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

Charlotte, NC · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 3.96
Net price: $27,426
Earnings 10y: $43,418
Acceptance: 79.9%

How we picked this list

This list starts with North Carolina schools with positive Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations 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 9.66 (9 public, 6 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?

Craven Community College in New Bern, 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?

15 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.