2027 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in North Carolina
[General Educational Leadership & Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/educational-leadership-and-administration-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 18 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools.
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2027 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general educational leadership & administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools
For return on investment in general educational leadership & administration, no school beat Johnston Community College this year. Located in the town of Smithfield, Johnston Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,756, while out-of-state students pay about $8,900. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $9,490 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Johnston Community College generally make around $37,472. Set against $9,490 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Piedmont Community College earned it the #2 place for general educational leadership & administration. Central Piedmont Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte. Students from in state pay about $2,792 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,936 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,861 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Central Piedmont Community College generally make around $40,629. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Stanly Community College earned it the #3 place for general educational leadership & administration. Located in the town of Albemarle, Stanly Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $2,672 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,816 for out-of-state students. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $41,920.
Alamance Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the suburb of Graham, Alamance Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,592, with out-of-state students paying around $8,736. Students borrow a median of $6,625 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Alamance Community College earn a median of $37,585 early in their careers. Set against $6,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general educational leadership & administration will find it at Haywood Community College, which ranked #5. Haywood Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Clyde. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,580, while out-of-state students pay about $8,724. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $35,767.
Fayetteville State University earned the #6 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,353, with out-of-state students paying around $8,353. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $27,869 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $63,764. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill came in at #7 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Students borrow a median of $15,117 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $67,864. Set against $15,117 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earned the #8 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public school located in the city of Greensboro. In-state tuition and fees average $7,661, compared with $24,012 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,977. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $75,462 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Western Carolina University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, while out-of-state students pay about $8,630. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,174. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Western Carolina University earn a median of $66,432 early in their careers. Set against $24,174 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earned the #10 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,239, with out-of-state students paying around $22,492. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,673. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $67,597 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,673 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte admits about 80% of applicants.
East Carolina University came in at #11 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,361, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,747 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $76,032. Set against $24,747 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Appalachian State University came in at #12 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,579, with out-of-state students paying around $25,212. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $21,992 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $69,507. That is a strong return on a $21,992 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $22,113. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of $78,549 early in their careers. Set against $22,113 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Gardner Webb University ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the rural area of Boiling Springs, Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $34,750 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $25,033. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Gardner Webb University earn a median of $70,840 early in their careers. Set against $25,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Salem College came in at #15 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Winston-Salem, Salem College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $33,848. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $26,789. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Salem College earn a median of $43,226 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,789 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earned the #16 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,277, with out-of-state students paying around $24,152. Students borrow a median of $23,013 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn a median of $69,402 early in their careers. Set against $23,013 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Queens University Of Charlotte earned the #17 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Charlotte, Queens University Of Charlotte is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,846. Students borrow a median of $27,245 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $62,292. Set against $27,245 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
High Point University ranked #18 on our 2027 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the city of High Point, High Point University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,312. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $23,785 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from High Point University generally make around $113,352. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 18 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
