2026 Best Return on Investment in North Carolina

Name: 2026 Best Return on Investment in North Carolina (Kollegio college rankings)
Creator: Kollegio
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

47 North Carolina schools ranked in Kollegio's 2026 Best Return on Investment ranking, based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.

Showing 1–25 of 47 colleges · How we rank colleges

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Cost of attendance after aid

ⓘ

$77,180

Institution type

2 Year4 Year5 Year

Field of study

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Campus Detail

Institution setting

AllCitySuburbanRural

Undergraduate enrollment

ⓘ

268763

Financial

Alumni starting salary

Tuition cost

ⓘ

$67,000

In-state tuition

ⓘ

Proportion of need based aid received

ⓘ

100%Clear Filter

International students received aid

ⓘ

100%

Average aid package

ⓘ

$82,308

Application fee

ⓘ

$150

Academics

Mean GPA

ⓘ

Mean SAT

ⓘ

1200

Mean ACT

ⓘ

#1 Best Return on Investment

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

Acceptance rate

15.3%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$7,019

Avg. Cost after Aid

$12,000

#2 Best Return on Investment

Davidson College

Davidson

Acceptance rate

14.5%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$54,460

Avg. Cost after Aid

$26,000

#3 Best Return on Investment

North Carolina State University

Raleigh

Acceptance rate

39.9%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$6,535

Avg. Cost after Aid

$14,000

#4 Best Return on Investment

University of North Carolina - Charlotte

Charlotte

Acceptance rate

79.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$3,812

Avg. Cost after Aid

$16,000

#5 Best Return on Investment

Duke University

Durham

Acceptance rate

6.8%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$58,085

Avg. Cost after Aid

$27,000

#6 Best Return on Investment

Appalachian State University

Boone

Acceptance rate

88.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,242

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#7 Best Return on Investment

University of North Carolina - Wilmington

Wilmington

Acceptance rate

64.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,443

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#8 Best Return on Investment

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem

Acceptance rate

21.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$58,708

Avg. Cost after Aid

$25,000

#9 Best Return on Investment

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee

Acceptance rate

86.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$1,000

Avg. Cost after Aid

$12,579

#10 Best Return on Investment

University of North Carolina - Greensboro

Greensboro

Acceptance rate

88.5%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,422

Avg. Cost after Aid

$10,000

#11 Best Return on Investment

East Carolina University

Greenville

Acceptance rate

90.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,452

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,000

#12 Best Return on Investment

Elon University

Elon

Acceptance rate

67.3%

Institution type

UPWG

Total Tuition Cost

$38,218

Avg. Cost after Aid

$40,000

#13 Best Return on Investment

University of North Carolina Asheville

Asheville

Acceptance rate

93.9%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$4,122

Avg. Cost after Aid

$14,000

#14 Best Return on Investment

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City

Acceptance rate

70.5%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$1,000

Avg. Cost after Aid

$4,000

#15 Best Return on Investment

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem

Acceptance rate

33.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$6,497

Avg. Cost after Aid

$12,372

#16 Best Return on Investment

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville

Acceptance rate

79.9%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$2,982

Avg. Cost after Aid

$7,000

#17 Best Return on Investment

University of North Carolina--Pembroke

Pembroke

Acceptance rate

93.3%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$1,000

Avg. Cost after Aid

$11,000

#18 Best Return on Investment

Meredith College

Raleigh

Acceptance rate

74.7%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$41,104

Avg. Cost after Aid

$22,000

#19 Best Return on Investment

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Greensboro

Acceptance rate

46.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$3,540

Avg. Cost after Aid

$9,000

#20 Best Return on Investment

Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem

Acceptance rate

68.5%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$3,401

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#21 Best Return on Investment

Campbell University

Buies Creek

Acceptance rate

94.3%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$35,580

Avg. Cost after Aid

$23,000

#22 Best Return on Investment

Catawba College

Salisbury

Acceptance rate

77.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$32,380

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#23 Best Return on Investment

High Point University

High Point

Acceptance rate

76.8%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$34,628

Avg. Cost after Aid

$41,000

#24 Best Return on Investment

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte

Acceptance rate

67.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$37,348

Avg. Cost after Aid

$30,000

#25 Best Return on Investment

Wingate University

Wingate

Acceptance rate

85.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$40,070

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

2026 Best Return on Investment in North Carolina

Best Return on Investment in nearby states

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