Federal data
Public four-year colleges in North Carolina by graduates' median earnings 4 years after
North Carolina public four-year colleges, ranked by median earnings four years after completion, from College Scorecard (September 18, 2026). At least 5 colleges must report this figure for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 4 years after | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public, 4-year | $81,033 | 9,196 |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | Public, 4-year | $75,943 | 10,612 |
| 3 | Carolinas College of Health Sciences | Charlotte | Public, 4-year | $70,775 | 161 |
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public, 4-year | $65,370 | 8,647 |
| 5 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | Public, 4-year | $61,925 | 5,176 |
| 6 | East Carolina University | Greenville | Public, 4-year | $60,888 | 7,082 |
| 7 | North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $56,996 | 2,790 |
| 8 | Winston-Salem State University | Winston-Salem | Public, 4-year | $56,396 | 1,066 |
| 9 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public, 4-year | $54,667 | 3,254 |
| 10 | Appalachian State University | Boone | Public, 4-year | $54,010 | 5,270 |
| 11 | Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville | Public, 4-year | $51,687 | 1,484 |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public, 4-year | $51,594 | 4,525 |
| 13 | North Carolina Central University | Durham | Public, 4-year | $50,812 | 1,551 |
| 14 | Elizabeth City State University | Elizabeth City | Public, 4-year | $50,194 | 383 |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke | Public, 4-year | $49,668 | 1,948 |
| 16 | University of North Carolina Asheville | Asheville | Public, 4-year | $45,777 | 684 |
| 17 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts | Winston Salem | Public, 4-year | $42,023 | 278 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard, institution-wide rather than by one program.
How to read this. This is a whole-college figure across every program, not one program's graduates -- a college with mostly graduate or professional programs will show higher earnings than one that is mostly certificates. Completions shown alongside it are the latest IPEDS total on file.
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