2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in North Carolina

[Nursing Science](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-science/) 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 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value nursing science schools.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Science Schools
Leading the list is University Of North Carolina At Greensboro, our #1 best value for nursing science in North Carolina. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,661, while out-of-state students pay about $24,012. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $24,701 in student loans. Nursing Science graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $103,649 early in their careers. Set against $24,701 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro admits about 88% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing science schools. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,994 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Students borrow a median of $23,026 to complete the nursing science program here. Nursing Science graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $91,154 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,026 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in nursing science will find it at East Carolina University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,361, compared with $23,638 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $25,264. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $96,898. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
A rank of #4 makes University Of North Carolina At Wilmington one of the best values for nursing science. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public school located in the city of Wilmington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,277, while out-of-state students pay about $24,152. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $22,000. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $46,164. That is a strong return on a $22,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Students looking for strong value in nursing science will find it at Duke University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,758. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $29,000. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $116,855. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.