2026 Best Value General Engineering Technology Schools in North Carolina
[General Engineering Technology](/majors/engineering-technologies/general-engineering-technology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general engineering technology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for general engineering technology students.
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2026 Best Value General Engineering Technology Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general engineering technology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Engineering Technology Schools
Our analysis ranked Wilkes Community College the best value for a degree in general engineering technology in North Carolina. Set in the town of Wilkesboro, Wilkes Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,572, with out-of-state students paying around $8,716. Typical student debt for general engineering technology graduates is $9,125. Early-career general engineering technology graduates make about $36,341. That is a strong return on a $9,125 median debt.
Johnston Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general engineering technology, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Smithfield, Johnston Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,756, while out-of-state students pay about $8,900. Typical student debt for general engineering technology graduates is $9,490. Early-career general engineering technology graduates make about $37,472. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general engineering technology will find it at Mayland Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the rural area of Spruce Pine, Mayland Community College is a small public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,626, with out-of-state students paying around $8,770. Early-career general engineering technology graduates make about $17,144.
A rank of #4 makes Western Carolina University one of the best values for general engineering technology. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general engineering technology graduates is $25,250. Early-career general engineering technology graduates make about $59,813. That is a strong return on a $25,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
