2026 Best Value Value Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
Our analysis ranked Central Carolina Community College the best value for a degree in value in North Carolina. Set in the town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,711, compared with $8,855 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $10,266 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Central Carolina Community College generally make around $38,198. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at Fayetteville Technical Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Technical Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,628 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,772. Value graduates carry a median of $16,909 in student loans. Value graduates of Fayetteville Technical Community College earn a median of $40,584 early in their careers. Set against $16,909 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
South Piedmont Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Polkton, South Piedmont Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,022, with out-of-state students paying around $6,630. Typical student debt for value graduates is $10,098. Value graduates of South Piedmont Community College earn a median of $39,321 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,098 median debt.
Forsyth Technical Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth Technical Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,276, while out-of-state students pay about $6,884. Typical student debt for value graduates is $16,374. Early-career value graduates make about $38,094. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Wake Technical Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Wake Technical Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Raleigh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,254, with out-of-state students paying around $6,862. Value graduates carry a median of $17,900 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $38,673. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Fayetteville State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Located in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,353, while out-of-state students pay about $8,353. Value graduates carry a median of $27,869 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $41,449. Set against $27,869 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Fayetteville State University admits about 82% of applicants.
Guilford Technical Community College landed the #7 spot for value value this year. Set in the suburb of Jamestown, Guilford Technical Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,320, with out-of-state students paying around $7,696. Students borrow a median of $20,501 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $36,124. That is a strong return on a $20,501 median debt.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Located in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,277, with out-of-state students paying around $24,152. Students borrow a median of $23,013 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn a median of $46,164 early in their careers. Set against $23,013 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Pfeiffer University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Pfeiffer University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Misenheimer. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,070. Value graduates carry a median of $26,375 in student loans. Value graduates of Pfeiffer University earn a median of $54,891 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Pfeiffer University admits about 96% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 27 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.
[Value](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/security-science-and-technology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
