Federal data
Highest earning criminal justice programs in North Carolina
North Carolina criminal justice programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Mount Olive | Mount Olive | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $40,639 | 63 |
| 2 | Campbell University | Buies Creek | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $40,590 | 36 |
| 3 | Lees-McRae College | Banner Elk | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $39,811 | 48 |
| 4 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public, 4-year | $38,682 | 171 |
| 5 | East Carolina University | Greenville | Public, 4-year | $36,374 | 183 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public, 4-year | $36,155 | 291 |
| 7 | Appalachian State University | Boone | Public, 4-year | $35,796 | 112 |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke | Public, 4-year | $35,553 | 135 |
| 9 | Gardner-Webb University | Boiling Springs | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $35,433 | 32 |
| 10 | North Carolina Central University | Durham | Public, 4-year | $33,829 | 158 |
| 11 | North Carolina Wesleyan University | Rocky Mount | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $33,735 | 94 |
| 12 | North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $32,152 | 146 |
| 13 | Winston-Salem State University | Winston-Salem | Public, 4-year | $31,564 | 41 |
| 14 | Chowan University | Murfreesboro | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $29,109 | 52 |
| 15 | Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville | Public, 4-year | $29,016 | 96 |
| 16 | Livingstone College | Salisbury | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $27,405 | 39 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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