There are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Top North Carolina Colleges for a Bachelor's ranking - to help you make that decision.
We analyzed 46 colleges and universities across North Carolina to determine which ones have the best bachelor's degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
Early-Career Salaries Are Higher
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. While bachelor's degree recipients from schools in North Carolina earn an average starting salary of $36,368, those from the top 25 school on this list made an average of $38,377.
Starting Salary ( 30314 to 43276 )
Average Student Debt
In addition to average starting salaries, we also consider the average amount of student loans that students take on while pursuing their bachelor's degree.
During their time at college, bachelor's degree seekers from schools in North Carolina take out an average of $25,940.
The average debt load at a particular school may not be bad, but it's an important thing to consider in conjunction with post-graduation earnings.
Other Ranking Factors in Our Methodology
In addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt loads, we also look at a host of other factors to determining our Best Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking.
Several other factors - such as how much the school spends on educational resources, the demand of the school, the availability of online learning options, and the student body caliber - go into our rankings.
If you'd rather work on your bachelor's degree in a specific area of the country, you might be interested in our rankings by place. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.
Our 2024 rankings named Duke University the best school in North Carolina in terms of overall quality for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,319 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Duke go into careers with an average salary of $55,249 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $11,804. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $727.
Out of the 46 bachelor’s degree schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. This large public school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 6,496 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill is $38,883 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $16,457 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $300 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Out of the 46 bachelor’s degree schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #3 spot on the list. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6,377 bachelor’s degrees to qualified graduate students.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $43,600 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $22,883 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $285 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 1,472 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $44,719 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $21,031 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $644.
A rank of #5 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree in North Carolina list means Elon University is a great place for students working on their degree. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Elon, North Carolina, and it awarded 1,638 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $45,951 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $22,633. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $724.
With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 6,358 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UNC Charlotte go into careers with an average salary of $40,359 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $25,408. Average monthly loan payments are around $193 for a 10-year repayment plan.
East Carolina University landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. East Carolina University is a large public school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 5,233 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from ECU go into careers with an average salary of $36,806 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $25,526 after getting their degree. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $277.
With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, the fairly large public school awarded 4,021 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $31,296 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $23,102. Average monthly loan payments are around $304 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Appalachian State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. This large public school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 4,368 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State make an average of $32,629 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $22,518 after getting their degree. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $224.
Meredith College landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 401 students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $33,979 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $25,563.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, the fairly large public school awarded 3,694 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UNC Greensboro go into careers with an average salary of $31,404 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $24,817 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $174 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Western Carolina University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. WCU is a public institution located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,501 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from WCU go into careers with an average salary of $35,606 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $24,606. This translates to an average monthly payment of $198 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte ranked #13 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 213 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from JWU Charlotte go into careers with an average salary of $36,730 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $26,775. Average monthly loan payments are around $381 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Campbell University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 883 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Campbell make an average of $38,399 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $23,498. This translates to an average monthly payment of $500 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
With a ranking of #15, High Point University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. High Point is a private not-for-profit institution located in High Point, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 928 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from High Point make an average of $36,796 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #16, Queens University of Charlotte did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 503 students in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Queens make an average of $40,601 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $27,422.
Gardner - Webb University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Gardner - Webb is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 495 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Gardner - Webb make an average of $33,166 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $26,932. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $354.
Strayer University - North Carolina came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Strayer University - North Carolina is a small private for-profit school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 322 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $51,854 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $52,848 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $121 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Montreat College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Montreat College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Montreat, North Carolina that handed out 120 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from Montreat College make an average of $35,811 a year. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $27,125 in student loans.
North Carolina Wesleyan College did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 441 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College go into careers with an average salary of $35,765 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $27,120. This translates to an average monthly payment of $181 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Pfeiffer University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Pfeiffer University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Misenheimer, North Carolina that handed out 199 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Pfeiffer University go into careers with an average salary of $44,494 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $26,500.
St. Andrews University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Laurinburg, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 101 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from St. Andrews is $31,869 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $25,767 after getting their degree. Average monthly loan payments are around $152 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Catawba College landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in Salisbury, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 278 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Catawba make an average of $28,378 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $25,194. This translates to an average monthly payment of $156 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #24. North Carolina A & T State University is a fairly large public school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 2,126 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from NC A&T make an average of $40,666 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $29,995 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $143 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
With a ranking of #25, Methodist University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 355 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Methodist is $34,415 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $26,794 after getting their degree.
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%.