Federal data
Highest earning sports, kinesiology, and physical education programs in North Carolina
North Carolina sports, kinesiology, and physical education 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 North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public, 4-year | $34,219 | 136 |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | Public, 4-year | $33,717 | 88 |
| 3 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public, 4-year | $32,428 | 38 |
| 4 | Campbell University | Buies Creek | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $32,167 | 58 |
| 5 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public, 4-year | $31,165 | 232 |
| 6 | East Carolina University | Greenville | Public, 4-year | $29,797 | 105 |
| 7 | St. Andrews University | Laurinburg | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $29,540 | 34 |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $29,482 | 143 |
| 9 | Guilford College | Greensboro | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $28,802 | 35 |
| 10 | Wingate University | Wingate | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $28,551 | 48 |
| 11 | North Carolina Central University | Durham | Public, 4-year | $26,682 | 75 |
| 12 | North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $26,498 | 185 |
| 13 | Winston-Salem State University | Winston-Salem | Public, 4-year | $26,467 | 110 |
| 14 | Chowan University | Murfreesboro | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $25,983 | 50 |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke | Public, 4-year | $25,623 | 115 |
| 16 | Appalachian State University | Boone | Public, 4-year | $24,829 | 162 |
| 17 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | Hickory | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $22,695 | 48 |
| 18 | Elon University | Elon | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $21,440 | 35 |
| 19 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $21,192 | 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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