Best colleges for criminal justice in North Carolina
Appalachian State University ranks first in North Carolina for criminal justice value (#90 nationally, value score 63.8): graduates earn $55,474 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,082 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 17 North Carolina colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best criminal justice colleges in North Carolina
Appalachian State University ranks first in North Carolina for criminal justice value (#90 nationally, value score 63.8): graduates earn $55,474 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,082 a year. 17 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $51,474 and the average net price is $16,708 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 17 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $51,474 and the average net price is $16,708 a year.
- The highest criminal justice earnings in the state are at High Point University ($65,607), 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
- $51,474
- National: $55,481
- Median net price
- $16,708
- National: $16,222
- Median federal debt
- $22,500
- criminal justice graduates
- Public colleges
- 9 of 17
- in this list
17 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.
- Earnings
- $55,474
- Net price
- $16,082
- Federal debt
- $15,718
- Graduation rate
- 71%
- Rank in North Carolina 2
High Point, NC · Private nonprofit · #92 nationally
63.4Value- Earnings
- $65,607
- Net price
- $41,019
- Federal debt
- $22,582
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Earnings
- $55,903
- Net price
- $13,025
- Federal debt
- $19,288
- Graduation rate
- 61%
- Rank in North Carolina 4
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · Public · #148 nationally
57.1Value- Earnings
- $53,738
- Net price
- $15,142
- Federal debt
- $18,583
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Rank in North Carolina 5
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC · Public · #209 nationally
48.9Value- Earnings
- $51,474
- Net price
- $9,884
- Federal debt
- $22,125
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Rank in North Carolina 6
Belmont, NC · Private nonprofit · #220 nationally
47.0Value- Earnings
- $60,235
- Net price
- $25,416
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Rank in North Carolina 7
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, NC · Public · #239 nationally
43.6Value- Earnings
- $50,239
- Net price
- $8,048
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 46%
- Rank in North Carolina 8
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC · Public · #262 nationally
40.2Value- Earnings
- $52,130
- Net price
- $12,817
- Federal debt
- $24,000
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in North Carolina 9
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, NC · Public · #265 nationally
39.5Value- Earnings
- $50,382
- Net price
- $10,522
- Federal debt
- $22,500
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Rank in North Carolina 10
Fayetteville, NC · Public · #282 nationally
37.2Value- Earnings
- $46,660
- Net price
- $8,500
- Federal debt
- $18,900
- Graduation rate
- 37%
- Rank in North Carolina 11
Banner Elk, NC · Private nonprofit · #303 nationally
33.2Value- Earnings
- $50,085
- Net price
- $28,253
- Federal debt
- $15,000
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in North Carolina 12
Boiling Springs, NC · Private nonprofit · #332 nationally
28.5Value- Earnings
- $51,709
- Net price
- $21,150
- Federal debt
- $23,199
- Graduation rate
- 48%
- Rank in North Carolina 13
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC · Public · #348 nationally
24.5Value- Earnings
- $48,443
- Net price
- $16,708
- Federal debt
- $25,185
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Earnings
- $51,834
- Net price
- $25,617
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Graduation rate
- 40%
- Rank in North Carolina 15
Mars Hill, NC · Private nonprofit · #365 nationally
18.8Value- Earnings
- $41,384
- Net price
- $20,442
- Federal debt
- $17,800
- Graduation rate
- 46%
- Rank in North Carolina 16
North Carolina Wesleyan College
Rocky Mount, NC · Private nonprofit · #374 nationally
13.5Value- Earnings
- $43,805
- Net price
- $20,318
- Federal debt
- $28,767
- Graduation rate
- 45%
- Rank in North Carolina 17
Murfreesboro, NC · Private nonprofit · #377 nationally
10.9Value- Earnings
- $44,858
- Net price
- $19,783
- Federal debt
- $29,701
- Graduation rate
- 27%
Method: the same value score as the national criminal justice 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 criminal justice colleges in North Carolina
What are the best colleges for criminal justice in North Carolina?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 North Carolina colleges for criminal justice are Appalachian State University (value score 63.8), High Point University (value score 63.4) and Western Carolina University (value score 63.2). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which North Carolina college has the highest earnings for criminal justice graduates?
High Point University: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $65,607 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable criminal justice 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 criminal justice?
17 North Carolina colleges have a criminal justice 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.