Best colleges for psychology in North Carolina
North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranks first in North Carolina for psychology value (#26 nationally, value score 83.6): graduates earn $62,032 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,486 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 22 North Carolina colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best psychology colleges in North Carolina
North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranks first in North Carolina for psychology value (#26 nationally, value score 83.6): graduates earn $62,032 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,486 a year. 22 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, psychology graduates earn $46,983 and the average net price is $16,794 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 22 North Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, psychology graduates earn $46,983 and the average net price is $16,794 a year.
- The highest psychology earnings in the state are at Elon University ($69,856), ranked #3 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Fayetteville State University: $8,500 a year.
- Median earnings
- $46,983
- National: $51,007
- Median net price
- $16,794
- National: $18,874
- Median federal debt
- $21,118
- psychology graduates
- Public colleges
- 13 of 22
- in this list
22 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
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public · #26 nationally
83.6Value- Earnings
- $62,032
- Net price
- $16,486
- Federal debt
- $16,831
- Graduation rate
- 85%
- Rank in North Carolina 2
Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit · #75 nationally
73.4Value- Earnings
- $64,814
- Net price
- $28,165
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Graduation rate
- 90%
- Earnings
- $69,856
- Net price
- $35,785
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 81%
- Rank in North Carolina 4
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · Public · #238 nationally
60.3Value- Earnings
- $50,507
- Net price
- $15,142
- Federal debt
- $18,295
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Earnings
- $50,270
- Net price
- $16,880
- Federal debt
- $17,830
- Graduation rate
- 63%
- Rank in North Carolina 6
High Point, NC · Private nonprofit · #349 nationally
54.1Value- Earnings
- $56,712
- Net price
- $41,019
- Federal debt
- $23,250
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Rank in North Carolina 7
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC · Public · #358 nationally
53.4Value- Earnings
- $49,609
- Net price
- $19,570
- Federal debt
- $18,677
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Earnings
- $47,720
- Net price
- $16,082
- Federal debt
- $18,752
- Graduation rate
- 71%
- Rank in North Carolina 9
Cullowhee, NC · Public · #380 nationally
51.7Value- Earnings
- $48,350
- Net price
- $13,025
- Federal debt
- $20,380
- Graduation rate
- 61%
- Rank in North Carolina 10
Fayetteville, NC · Public · #529 nationally
42.2Value- Earnings
- $43,358
- Net price
- $8,500
- Federal debt
- $16,725
- Graduation rate
- 37%
- Rank in North Carolina 11
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, NC · Public · #550 nationally
40.5Value- Earnings
- $43,825
- Net price
- $12,291
- Federal debt
- $20,016
- Graduation rate
- 58%
- Earnings
- $49,124
- Net price
- $22,801
- Federal debt
- $24,200
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Rank in North Carolina 13
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC · Public · #555 nationally
40.1Value- Earnings
- $45,215
- Net price
- $9,884
- Federal debt
- $23,951
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Rank in North Carolina 14
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, NC · Public · #657 nationally
33.6Value- Earnings
- $42,947
- Net price
- $10,522
- Federal debt
- $21,856
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Rank in North Carolina 15
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Asheville, NC · Public · #664 nationally
33.1Value- Earnings
- $40,673
- Net price
- $14,999
- Federal debt
- $17,500
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Rank in North Carolina 16
Greensboro, NC · Private nonprofit · #691 nationally
31.1Value- Earnings
- $49,921
- Net price
- $22,813
- Federal debt
- $26,337
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in North Carolina 17
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC · Public · #721 nationally
28.5Value- Earnings
- $40,797
- Net price
- $12,817
- Federal debt
- $22,000
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in North Carolina 18
Buies Creek, NC · Private nonprofit · #740 nationally
26.4Value- Earnings
- $46,246
- Net price
- $25,057
- Federal debt
- $24,500
- Graduation rate
- 59%
- Rank in North Carolina 19
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC · Public · #748 nationally
25.6Value- Earnings
- $44,053
- Net price
- $16,708
- Federal debt
- $28,014
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in North Carolina 20
Wingate, NC · Private nonprofit · #756 nationally
23.9Value- Earnings
- $45,795
- Net price
- $21,511
- Federal debt
- $24,250
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in North Carolina 21
Boiling Springs, NC · Private nonprofit · #791 nationally
19.5Value- Earnings
- $42,936
- Net price
- $21,150
- Federal debt
- $25,694
- Graduation rate
- 48%
- Rank in North Carolina 22
North Carolina Wesleyan College
Rocky Mount, NC · Private nonprofit · #798 nationally
17.6Value- Earnings
- $41,976
- Net price
- $20,318
- Federal debt
- $28,500
- Graduation rate
- 45%
Method: the same value score as the national psychology 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 psychology colleges in North Carolina
What are the best colleges for psychology in North Carolina?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 North Carolina colleges for psychology are North Carolina State University at Raleigh (value score 83.6), Wake Forest University (value score 73.4) and Elon University (value score 71.5). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which North Carolina college has the highest earnings for psychology graduates?
Elon University: its psychology graduates have median earnings of $69,856 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable psychology college in North Carolina on this list?
Fayetteville State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked North Carolina colleges, $8,500 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many North Carolina colleges are ranked for psychology?
22 North Carolina colleges have a psychology 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.