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2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina

18 Ranked Colleges
1,161 Degrees Awarded
$19,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in North Carolina

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.

Across North Carolina, there were 1,351 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,713 and $20,190 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,161 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent economics 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 economics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

The economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in North Carolina

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 409 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,352 for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at UNC Chapel Hill

#2

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $13,920 for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full Appalachian State University Economics Report

#3

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, East Carolina University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 98 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students list, ECU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $15,844 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend East Carolina University.

Read full report on Economics at ECU

#4

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. UNC Charlotte is a large school located in Charlotte, North Carolina that handed out 29 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Charlotte not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $16,529 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full UNC Charlotte Economics Report

#5

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Asheville landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, this small public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

UNCA also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Asheville is $12,061 for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students.

Read more about Economics at University of North Carolina at Asheville

#6

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina
#9 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Wilmington, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students list, UNCW has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $19,055 for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend UNCW.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Economics at UNCW

#7

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students list, UNC Greensboro has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Greensboro is $12,748 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Economics Report

#8

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

NC A&T not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina A & T State University is $10,274 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

Read more about Economics at NC A&T

#9

Winston - Salem State University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#17 in overall quality

Winston - Salem State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Winston - Salem State University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 7 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $12,286 for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend Winston - Salem State University.

Read more about Economics at Winston - Salem State University

#10

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, North Carolina
#18 in overall quality

Johnson C Smith University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

JCSU also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $19,220 for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend Johnson C Smith University.

Read full report on Economics at Johnson C Smith University

#11

Elon University

Elon, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

Elon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #11. This medium-sized school is located in Elon, North Carolina, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Elon also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $37,230 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend Elon.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Economics at Elon University

#12

Salem College

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

Salem College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Salem College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Salem not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $18,010 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend Salem College.

Full Salem College Economics Report

#13

Catawba College

Salisbury, North Carolina
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Catawba College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Catawba is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salisbury, North Carolina. It awarded 8 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students list, Catawba has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Catawba College is $18,185 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

Full Catawba College Economics Report

#14

Meredith College

Raleigh, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

Meredith College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #14. Meredith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 9 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students list, Meredith has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $23,683 for north carolina bachelor’s degree economics students per year to attend Meredith College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Economics at Meredith College

#15

Campbell University

Buies Creek, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Campbell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Campbell University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Buies Creek, North Carolina. It awarded 2 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Campbell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $24,544 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students per year to attend Campbell University.

Read full report on Economics at Campbell

#16

Guilford College

Greensboro, North Carolina

Guilford College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Guilford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Guilford College is $22,996 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

Full Guilford Economics Report

#17

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

Duke University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 219 students in 2019-2020.

Duke also took the #1 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $27,020 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Duke

#18

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 139 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wake Forest University, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $29,990 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Economics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Wake Forest University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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