2027 Best Value Value Schools in North Carolina
[Value](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/general/) 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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
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2027 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 University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill the best value for a degree in value in North Carolina. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Students borrow a median of $15,117 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $66,534 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,117 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at University Of North Carolina At Pembroke, which ranked #2. University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Pembroke. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,648, compared with $7,648 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $27,089 in student loans. Value graduates of University Of North Carolina At Pembroke earn a median of $46,323 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value value schools. 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. Value graduates carry a median of $24,977 in student loans. Value graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $48,682 early in their careers. Set against $24,977 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Western Carolina University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value value schools. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, while out-of-state students pay about $8,630. Value graduates carry a median of $18,375 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $54,286. Set against $18,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,239, while out-of-state students pay about $22,492. Value graduates carry a median of $24,673 in student loans. Value graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $59,111 early in their careers. Set against $24,673 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
North Carolina Central University landed the #6 spot for value value this year. Set in the city of Durham, North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,699, while out-of-state students pay about $19,735. Typical student debt for value graduates is $31,173. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from North Carolina Central University generally make around $51,559. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
East Carolina University placed #7 among the best values for value. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Typical student debt for value graduates is $24,747. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from East Carolina University generally make around $51,931. Set against $24,747 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Appalachian State University placed #8 among the best values for value. Set in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,579, with out-of-state students paying around $25,212. Typical student debt for value graduates is $21,992. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Appalachian State University generally make around $46,655. Set against $21,992 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Appalachian State University admits about 90% of applicants.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #9 for value in value this year. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. Students from in state pay about $8,799 in tuition and fees, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $22,113. Value graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of $51,393 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Gardner Webb University came in at #10 for value in value this year. Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Boiling Springs. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,750. Students borrow a median of $25,033 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $63,220. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington landed the #11 spot for value value this year. 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. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,013. Early-career value graduates make about $50,764. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington admits about 64% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
