Federal data
Highest earning registered nursing programs in North Carolina
North Carolina registered nursing 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 | Chamberlain University | Charlotte | For-profit, 4-year | $83,188 | 10,218 |
| 2 | University of Mount Olive | Mount Olive | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $81,493 | 68 |
| 3 | South University | High Point | For-profit, 4-year | $77,635 | 1,002 |
| 4 | Duke University | Durham | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $77,288 | 198 |
| 5 | Galen Health Institutes | Asheville | For-profit, 4-year | $76,234 | 607 |
| 6 | North Carolina Central University | Durham | Public, 4-year | $76,142 | 134 |
| 7 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | Public, 4-year | $74,463 | 802 |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke | Public, 4-year | $73,906 | 77 |
| 9 | Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $73,479 | 144 |
| 10 | Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville | Public, 4-year | $73,448 | 192 |
| 11 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public, 4-year | $73,445 | 263 |
| 12 | North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $73,368 | 84 |
| 13 | Winston-Salem State University | Winston-Salem | Public, 4-year | $72,639 | 374 |
| 14 | East Carolina University | Greenville | Public, 4-year | $72,051 | 446 |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public, 4-year | $71,594 | 257 |
| 16 | Gardner-Webb University | Boiling Springs | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $71,337 | 101 |
| 17 | Campbell University | Buies Creek | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $70,772 | 68 |
| 18 | Methodist University | Fayetteville | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $70,746 | 41 |
| 19 | Lees-McRae College | Banner Elk | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $69,776 | 61 |
| 20 | Appalachian State University | Boone | Public, 4-year | $69,420 | 226 |
| 21 | Wingate University | Wingate | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $68,877 | 35 |
| 22 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public, 4-year | $68,774 | 245 |
| 23 | Barton College | Wilson | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $68,741 | 57 |
| 24 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $68,115 | 271 |
| 25 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | Hickory | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $64,846 | 65 |
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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