Best colleges for biology in North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks first in North Carolina for biology value (#12 nationally, value score 81.6): graduates earn $62,047 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $11,305 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 23 North Carolina colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best biology colleges in North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks first in North Carolina for biology value (#12 nationally, value score 81.6): graduates earn $62,047 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $11,305 a year. 23 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, biology graduates earn $56,388 and the average net price is $16,486 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 23 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, biology graduates earn $56,388 and the average net price is $16,486 a year.
- The highest biology earnings in the state are at Duke University ($83,192), ranked #2 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Elizabeth City State University: $8,048 a year.
- Median earnings
- $56,388
- National: $58,001
- Median net price
- $16,486
- National: $18,049
- Median federal debt
- $21,491
- biology graduates
- Public colleges
- 15 of 23
- in this list
23 colleges
The North Carolina ranking
Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
- Rank in North Carolina 1
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public · #12 nationally
81.6Value- Earnings
- $62,047
- Net price
- $11,305
- Federal debt
- $13,500
- Graduation rate
- 91%
- Earnings
- $83,192
- Net price
- $23,706
- Federal debt
- $14,196
- Graduation rate
- 96%
- Rank in North Carolina 3
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public · #135 nationally
66.8Value- Earnings
- $61,384
- Net price
- $16,486
- Federal debt
- $20,500
- Graduation rate
- 85%
- Earnings
- $64,205
- Net price
- $16,880
- Federal debt
- $20,337
- Graduation rate
- 63%
- Rank in North Carolina 5
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC · Public · #172 nationally
63.1Value- Earnings
- $60,750
- Net price
- $19,570
- Federal debt
- $17,511
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Rank in North Carolina 6
Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit · #270 nationally
56.3Value- Earnings
- $63,292
- Net price
- $28,165
- Federal debt
- $24,222
- Graduation rate
- 90%
- Rank in North Carolina 7
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · Public · #274 nationally
55.9Value- Earnings
- $56,388
- Net price
- $15,142
- Federal debt
- $18,750
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Rank in North Carolina 8
High Point, NC · Private nonprofit · #323 nationally
52.3Value- Earnings
- $67,184
- Net price
- $41,019
- Federal debt
- $26,027
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Rank in North Carolina 9
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC · Public · #342 nationally
50.5Value- Earnings
- $57,392
- Net price
- $9,884
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Earnings
- $60,099
- Net price
- $22,801
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Earnings
- $53,228
- Net price
- $16,082
- Federal debt
- $20,500
- Graduation rate
- 71%
- Rank in North Carolina 12
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, NC · Public · #431 nationally
43.0Value- Earnings
- $52,194
- Net price
- $12,291
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 58%
- Rank in North Carolina 13
Buies Creek, NC · Private nonprofit · #444 nationally
41.8Value- Earnings
- $56,463
- Net price
- $25,057
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 59%
- Rank in North Carolina 14
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, NC · Public · #462 nationally
40.4Value- Earnings
- $53,625
- Net price
- $8,048
- Federal debt
- $26,625
- Graduation rate
- 46%
- Rank in North Carolina 15
Cullowhee, NC · Public · #484 nationally
39.2Value- Earnings
- $50,180
- Net price
- $13,025
- Federal debt
- $21,218
- Graduation rate
- 61%
- Rank in North Carolina 16
Wingate, NC · Private nonprofit · #506 nationally
36.7Value- Earnings
- $58,623
- Net price
- $21,511
- Federal debt
- $25,250
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in North Carolina 17
Fayetteville, NC · Public · #535 nationally
34.4Value- Earnings
- $48,881
- Net price
- $8,500
- Federal debt
- $20,511
- Graduation rate
- 37%
- Rank in North Carolina 18
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC · Public · #554 nationally
33.2Value- Earnings
- $54,192
- Net price
- $16,708
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in North Carolina 19
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, NC · Public · #563 nationally
32.1Value- Earnings
- $48,285
- Net price
- $10,522
- Federal debt
- $21,491
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Earnings
- $53,369
- Net price
- $35,785
- Federal debt
- $24,732
- Graduation rate
- 81%
- Rank in North Carolina 21
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Asheville, NC · Public · #592 nationally
28.3Value- Earnings
- $47,302
- Net price
- $14,999
- Federal debt
- $21,147
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Rank in North Carolina 22
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC · Public · #600 nationally
27.4Value- Earnings
- $47,527
- Net price
- $12,817
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in North Carolina 23
Boiling Springs, NC · Private nonprofit · #656 nationally
19.5Value- Earnings
- $48,505
- Net price
- $21,150
- Federal debt
- $23,250
- Graduation rate
- 48%
Method: the same value score as the national biology ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.
Questions about biology colleges in North Carolina
What are the best colleges for biology in North Carolina?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 North Carolina colleges for biology are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (value score 81.6), Duke University (value score 81.3) and North Carolina State University at Raleigh (value score 66.8). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which North Carolina college has the highest earnings for biology graduates?
Duke University: its biology graduates have median earnings of $83,192 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable biology college in North Carolina on this list?
Elizabeth City State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked North Carolina colleges, $8,048 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many North Carolina colleges are ranked for biology?
23 North Carolina colleges have a biology bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within North Carolina.