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2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina

27 Ranked Colleges
1,362 Degrees Awarded
$17,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 43,003 people earned their degree in elementary education, making the major the 17th most popular in the United States.

Across North Carolina, there were 1,362 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina” ranking, we looked at 27 colleges that offer a degree in elementary education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent elementary education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the elementary education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina elementary teaching students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Elementary Education in North Carolina

1
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Appalachian State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 165 students in 2020-2021.

Appalachian State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $13,989 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students per year to attend Appalachian State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Elementary Education at Appalachian State

2
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Carolina University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 233 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

ECU also made our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $16,550 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Read more about Elementary Education at East Carolina University

3
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 60 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $16,411 for north carolina elementary teaching students per year to attend NC State.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at NC State

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. Wilmington, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 151 students in 2020-2021.

UNCW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNCW is $19,136 for north carolina elementary teaching students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at UNCW

5

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #5 spot on the list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 60 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Greensboro also made our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $11,629 for north carolina elementary teaching students.

Read more about Elementary Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

6

University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 101 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Charlotte also made our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $17,634 for north carolina elementary teaching students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UNC Charlotte

7
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. WCU is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 54 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,924 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Full WCU Elementary Education Report

8
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Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville Technical Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. Fayetteville Technical Community College is a medium-sized school located in Fayetteville, North Carolina that handed out 15 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

FTCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for FTCC is $4,337 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Fayetteville Technical Community College

9
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. NC A&T is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC A&T, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC A&T is $10,563 for north carolina elementary teaching students.

Read more about Elementary Education at NC A&T

10

With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized school located in Pembroke, North Carolina that handed out 45 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Pembroke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $10,792 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of North Carolina at Pembroke

11
North Carolina Central University crest
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized public school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 22 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

North Carolina Central University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina Central University is $14,332 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Full North Carolina Central University Elementary Education Report

12
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. Fayetteville State University is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Fayetteville State University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fayetteville State University is $6,969 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Full Fayetteville State University Elementary Education Report

13
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Winston - Salem State University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston - Salem State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #13. Winston - Salem State University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

WSSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winston - Salem State University is $12,415 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Winston - Salem State University

14
ECSU crest
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. Elizabeth City State University is a public institution located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for ECSU is $3,704 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at ECSU

15
UMO crest
University of Mount Olive
Mount Olive, North Carolina

University of Mount Olive came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in Mount Olive, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our north carolina elementary teaching students list, UMO has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mount Olive is $15,883 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UMO

16
Wingate crest
Wingate University
Wingate, North Carolina

Wingate University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wingate, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Wingate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $20,827 for north carolina elementary teaching students per year to attend Wingate University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Wingate

17
BAC crest
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont, North Carolina

Belmont Abbey College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. Belmont Abbey College is located in Belmont, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

BAC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $21,329 for north carolina elementary teaching students per year to attend Belmont Abbey College.

Read more about Elementary Education at Belmont Abbey College

18
Mars Hill crest
Mars Hill University
Mars Hill, North Carolina

Mars Hill University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Mars Hill, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

Mars Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $19,374 for north carolina elementary teaching students per year to attend Mars Hill.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Mars Hill University

19
Gardner - Webb crest
Gardner - Webb University
Boiling Springs, North Carolina

Gardner - Webb University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. Gardner - Webb is a small school located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina that handed out 25 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our north carolina elementary teaching students list, Gardner - Webb has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gardner - Webb is $20,776 for north carolina elementary teaching students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Gardner - Webb University

20
Catawba crest
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina

With a ranking of #20, Catawba College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. Salisbury, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our north carolina elementary teaching students list, Catawba has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $18,702 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students per year to attend Catawba.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Catawba College

21
Queens crest
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina

Queens University of Charlotte landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. Queens is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Queens, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $27,026 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students per year to attend Queens University of Charlotte.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Queens

22
Lees - McRae College crest
Lees - McRae College
Banner Elk, North Carolina

Lees - McRae College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Banner Elk, North Carolina, and it awarded 25 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Lees - McRae College also took the #23 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lees - McRae College is $23,347 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Lees - McRae College

23
St. Andrews crest
St. Andrews University
Laurinburg, North Carolina

With a ranking of #23, St. Andrews University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. St. Andrews is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Laurinburg, North Carolina. It awarded 13 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Andrews is $24,731 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at St. Andrews

24
High Point crest
High Point University
High Point, North Carolina

High Point University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina ranking. This medium-sized school is located in High Point, North Carolina, and it awarded 56 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

High Point not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for High Point is $39,475 for north carolina elementary teaching students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at High Point

25
Campbell crest
Campbell University
Buies Creek, North Carolina

Campbell University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in North Carolina list. Campbell University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Buies Creek, North Carolina. It awarded 22 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Campbell, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $26,169 for North Carolina Elementary Teaching students per year to attend Campbell.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Campbell

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