2026 Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools in North Carolina
[Electrical Engineering](/majors/engineering/ee-electrical-engineering/electrical-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for electrical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in electrical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked North Carolina A And T State University the best value for a degree in electrical engineering in North Carolina. North Carolina A And T State University is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,813, with out-of-state students paying around $20,673. Students borrow a median of $28,614 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, electrical engineering degree recipients from North Carolina A And T State University generally make around $81,213. Set against $28,614 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in electrical engineering will find it at Western Carolina University, which ranked #2. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,630, while out-of-state students pay about $8,630. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $69,067. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value electrical engineering schools. Located in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,239 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,492. Students borrow a median of $24,375 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Electrical Engineering graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $72,167 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,375 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Students looking for strong value in electrical engineering will find it at North Carolina State University At Raleigh, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,799 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $32,847. Students borrow a median of $24,250 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $85,887. Set against $24,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in electrical engineering will find it at Duke University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,758 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for electrical engineering graduates is $13,296. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $83,388. Set against $13,296 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Duke University admits about 6% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
