Federal data
Highest earning economics programs in North Carolina
North Carolina economics 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 | Duke University | Durham | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $98,649 | 119 |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public, 4-year | $65,344 | 367 |
| 3 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $56,416 | 55 |
| 4 | East Carolina University | Greenville | Public, 4-year | $46,425 | 84 |
| 5 | North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $45,446 | 32 |
| 6 | Appalachian State University | Boone | Public, 4-year | $33,742 | 36 |
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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