2027 Best Value English Schools in North Carolina
[English](/majors/english-language-literature/general-english-language-literature/english/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong english education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 17 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value english schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value English Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in english, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value English Schools
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earned the #1 spot for value among english schools in North Carolina. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Students from in state pay about $8,994 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Typical student debt for english graduates is $14,794. English graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $40,247 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Fayetteville State University one of the best values for english. Set in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,353 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,353. Typical student debt for english graduates is $27,869. Early-career english graduates make about $41,449. Set against $27,869 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Carolina At Pembroke came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Pembroke. In-state tuition and fees average $3,648, compared with $7,648 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for english graduates is $27,089. Early-career english graduates make about $40,578. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a great value for students pursuing a degree in english, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,661, compared with $24,012 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the english program here. English graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $29,494 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in english, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Asheville, University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,501, with out-of-state students paying around $24,849. Students borrow a median of $23,752 to complete the english program here. English graduates of University Of North Carolina At Asheville earn a median of $19,136 early in their careers. Set against $23,752 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Asheville admits about 92% of applicants.
North Carolina A And T State University came in at #6 for value in english this year. North Carolina A And T State University is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro. Students from in state pay about $6,813 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,673 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the english program here. English graduates of North Carolina A And T State University earn a median of $30,995 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 50%.
Western Carolina University placed #7 among the best values for english. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,630, with out-of-state students paying around $8,630. English graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $29,891. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earned the #8 position for value in english this year. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, with out-of-state students paying around $22,492. English graduates carry a median of $23,071 in student loans. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte generally make around $33,330. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Davidson College ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Davidson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Davidson. In-state tuition and fees average $64,430. English graduates carry a median of $19,906 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $34,707. That is a strong return on a $19,906 median debt. The acceptance rate is 13%.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh earned the #10 position for value in english this year. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Students borrow a median of $21,680 to complete the english program here. English graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of $34,130 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,680 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Appalachian State University ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,579, while out-of-state students pay about $25,212. English graduates carry a median of $21,430 in student loans. English graduates of Appalachian State University earn a median of $23,397 early in their careers. Set against $21,430 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
East Carolina University earned the #12 position for value in english this year. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,361, while out-of-state students pay about $23,638. English graduates carry a median of $25,400 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $29,133. Set against $25,400 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington placed #13 among the best values for english. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,277, with out-of-state students paying around $24,152. English graduates carry a median of $24,636 in student loans. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington generally make around $24,384. That is a strong return on a $24,636 median debt. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Wake Forest University ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Wake Forest University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem. In-state tuition and fees average $67,642. English graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Wake Forest University generally make around $31,449. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 22%.
Duke University placed #15 among the best values for english. 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 english graduates is $15,362. English graduates of Duke University earn a median of $34,962 early in their careers. Set against $15,362 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Duke University admits about 6% of applicants.
High Point University placed #16 among the best values for english. Located in the city of High Point, High Point University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,312. Typical student debt for english graduates is $23,785. Early-career english graduates make about $113,352. That is a strong return on a $23,785 median debt. High Point University admits about 75% of applicants.
Elon University landed the #17 spot for english value this year. Set in the suburb of Elon, Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $46,958. English graduates carry a median of $21,619 in student loans. English graduates of Elon University earn a median of $36,302 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 66%.
View All English Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 17 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.
