Federal data
Highest earning master's business administration programs in North Carolina
North Carolina business administration 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 | $171,948 | 565 |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public, 4-year | $156,818 | 789 |
| 3 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | Public, 4-year | $113,700 | 216 |
| 4 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $104,615 | 279 |
| 5 | Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $96,568 | 99 |
| 6 | Elon University | Elon | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $90,264 | 44 |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public, 4-year | $83,385 | 118 |
| 8 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | Public, 4-year | $80,921 | 67 |
| 9 | East Carolina University | Greenville | Public, 4-year | $77,753 | 182 |
| 10 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $76,205 | 59 |
| 11 | Wingate University | Wingate | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $74,681 | 33 |
| 12 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public, 4-year | $73,460 | 60 |
| 13 | Pfeiffer University | Misenheimer | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $72,599 | 57 |
| 14 | Appalachian State University | Boone | Public, 4-year | $72,310 | 69 |
| 15 | Campbell University | Buies Creek | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $71,426 | 65 |
| 16 | Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville | Public, 4-year | $68,138 | 87 |
| 17 | University of Mount Olive | Mount Olive | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $65,467 | 125 |
| 18 | North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $62,635 | 55 |
| 19 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke | Public, 4-year | $62,101 | 114 |
| 20 | Gardner-Webb University | Boiling Springs | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $60,802 | 89 |
| 21 | North Carolina Central University | Durham | Public, 4-year | $59,732 | 30 |
| 22 | Johnson & Wales University | Charlotte | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $57,220 | 447 |
| 23 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | Hickory | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $47,360 | 52 |
| 24 | Barton College | Wilson | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $45,269 | 32 |
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.