Best ROI Colleges in North Carolina
25 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland Community College Shelby · community | 33.9× | $995 | 30.6% | $33,755 | — |
| 2 | Piedmont Community College Roxboro · community | 30.4× | $1,095 | 39.5% | $33,274 | — |
| 3 | Pamlico Community College Grantsboro · community | 22.7× | $1,321 | 55.3% | $30,005 | — |
| 4 | Durham Technical Community College Durham · community | 21.7× | $1,664 | 24.1% | $36,142 | — |
| 5 | Johnston Community College Smithfield · community | 21.0× | $1,776 | 40.5% | $37,310 | — |
| 6 | Rockingham Community College Wentworth · community | 15.8× | $2,060 | 32.3% | $32,480 | — |
| 7 | James Sprunt Community College Kenansville · community | 15.7× | $1,863 | 41.0% | $29,307 | — |
| 8 | Wayne Community College Goldsboro · community | 15.2× | $2,245 | 39.8% | $34,148 | — |
| 9 | College of the Albemarle Elizabeth City · community | 14.8× | $2,253 | 34.0% | $33,234 | — |
| 10 | Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte · community | 11.3× | $3,345 | 24.0% | $37,865 | — |
| 11 | Wilson Community College Wilson · community | 10.8× | $3,064 | 29.5% | $32,973 | — |
| 12 | Sampson Community College Clinton · community | 10.7× | $3,108 | 36.5% | $33,409 | — |
| 13 | Nash Community College Rocky Mount · community | 10.5× | $3,338 | 27.8% | $34,912 | — |
| 14 | Vance-Granville Community College Henderson · community | 10.4× | $3,286 | 31.9% | $34,304 | — |
| 15 | Craven Community College New Bern · community | 10.4× | $3,289 | 36.7% | $34,231 | — |
| 16 | Robeson Community College Lumberton · community | 10.0× | $2,892 | 37.0% | $29,036 | — |
| 17 | Martin Community College Williamston · community | 9.7× | $2,676 | 36.0% | $26,016 | — |
| 18 | Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville · community | 8.9× | $3,589 | 28.2% | $31,861 | — |
| 19 | Lenoir Community College Kinston · community | 8.2× | $4,127 | 36.3% | $33,866 | — |
| 20 | Sandhills Community College Pinehurst · community | 7.6× | $4,157 | 35.9% | $31,656 | — |
| 21 | Surry Community College Dobson · community | 7.3× | $4,961 | 47.0% | $36,012 | — |
| 22 | Southwestern Community College Sylva · community | 6.6× | $5,207 | 41.4% | $34,145 | — |
| 23 | Stanly Community College Albemarle · community | 6.4× | $5,721 | 37.7% | $36,686 | — |
| 24 | Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock · community | 6.3× | $5,756 | 48.8% | $36,324 | — |
| 25 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City · public | 6.3× | $6,364 | 44.3% | $40,026 | 64.2% |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.