Best colleges for engineering in North Carolina
Duke University ranks first in North Carolina for engineering value (#21 nationally, value score 81.5): graduates earn $174,522 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $23,706 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 8 North Carolina colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best engineering colleges in North Carolina
Duke University ranks first in North Carolina for engineering value (#21 nationally, value score 81.5): graduates earn $174,522 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $23,706 a year. 8 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, engineering graduates earn $87,689 and the average net price is $15,071 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 8 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, engineering graduates earn $87,689 and the average net price is $15,071 a year.
- The lowest average net price among them is at North Carolina A & T State University: $9,884 a year.
- Median earnings
- $87,689
- National: $91,742
- Median net price
- $15,071
- National: $17,499
- Median federal debt
- $21,074
- engineering graduates
- Public colleges
- 7 of 8
- in this list
8 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
- $174,522
- Net price
- $23,706
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Graduation rate
- 96%
- Rank in North Carolina 2
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public · #27 nationally
79.9Value- Earnings
- $97,992
- Net price
- $11,305
- Federal debt
- $18,976
- Graduation rate
- 91%
- Rank in North Carolina 3
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public · #184 nationally
45.7Value- Earnings
- $87,112
- Net price
- $16,486
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 85%
- Rank in North Carolina 4
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · Public · #195 nationally
44.1Value- Earnings
- $88,265
- Net price
- $15,142
- Federal debt
- $20,648
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Rank in North Carolina 5
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Asheville, NC · Public · #245 nationally
36.1Value- Earnings
- $88,346
- Net price
- $14,999
- Federal debt
- $22,760
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Rank in North Carolina 6
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC · Public · #259 nationally
34.3Value- Earnings
- $85,463
- Net price
- $9,884
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Earnings
- $84,847
- Net price
- $16,880
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 63%
- Rank in North Carolina 8
Cullowhee, NC · Public · #285 nationally
29.3Value- Earnings
- $82,500
- Net price
- $13,025
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 61%
Method: the same value score as the national engineering 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 engineering colleges in North Carolina
What are the best colleges for engineering in North Carolina?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 North Carolina colleges for engineering are Duke University (value score 81.5), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (value score 79.9) and North Carolina State University at Raleigh (value score 45.7). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which North Carolina college has the highest earnings for engineering graduates?
Duke University: its engineering graduates have median earnings of $174,522 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable engineering college in North Carolina on this list?
North Carolina A & T State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked North Carolina colleges, $9,884 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many North Carolina colleges are ranked for engineering?
8 North Carolina colleges have a engineering 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.