2026 Best Value Engineering Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked Central Piedmont Community College the best value for a degree in engineering in North Carolina. Central Piedmont Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte. In-state tuition and fees average $2,792, while out-of-state students pay about $8,936. Engineering graduates carry a median of $11,861 in student loans. Engineering graduates of Central Piedmont Community College earn a median of $40,629 early in their careers. Set against $11,861 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in engineering will find it at Central Carolina Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,711, compared with $8,855 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $10,266. Engineering graduates of Central Carolina Community College earn a median of $38,198 early in their careers. Set against $10,266 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in engineering will find it at Johnston Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Smithfield, Johnston Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,756, with out-of-state students paying around $8,900. Students borrow a median of $9,490 to complete the engineering program here. Early-career engineering graduates make about $37,472. That is a strong return on a $9,490 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in engineering will find it at Gaston College, which ranked #4. Gaston College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Dallas. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,186, with out-of-state students paying around $9,330. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $10,915. Engineering graduates of Gaston College earn a median of $39,937 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in engineering will find it at Cape Fear Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,748, with out-of-state students paying around $8,892. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $12,388. Early-career engineering graduates make about $42,889. That is a strong return on a $12,388 median debt.
Forsyth Technical Community College earned the #6 position for value in engineering this year. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth Technical Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,276, compared with $6,884 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,374 to complete the engineering program here. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients from Forsyth Technical Community College generally make around $38,094. That is a strong return on a $16,374 median debt.
Wake Technical Community College came in at #7 for value in engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,254, with out-of-state students paying around $6,862. Students borrow a median of $11,182 to complete the engineering program here. Engineering graduates of Wake Technical Community College earn a median of $38,673 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
North Carolina A And T State University placed #8 among the best values for engineering. Located in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina A And T State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,813, while out-of-state students pay about $20,673. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $29,926. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients from North Carolina A And T State University generally make around $75,010. That is a strong return on a $29,926 median debt. The acceptance rate is 50%.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill landed the #9 spot for engineering value this year. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,994, compared with $41,203 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete the engineering program here. Early-career engineering graduates make about $70,561. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
Western Carolina University came in at #10 for value in engineering this year. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,630, while out-of-state students pay about $8,630. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $29,038. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients from Western Carolina University generally make around $65,210. Set against $29,038 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Asheville placed #11 among the best values for engineering. University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Asheville. In-state tuition and fees average $7,501, compared with $24,849 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $31,000. Early-career engineering graduates make about $73,410. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Asheville admits about 92% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earned the #12 position for value in engineering this year. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,239, with out-of-state students paying around $22,492. Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,414 in student loans. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte generally make around $70,913. That is a strong return on a $23,414 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Guilford Technical Community College earned the #13 position for value in engineering this year. Set in the suburb of Jamestown, Guilford Technical Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,320, compared with $7,696 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,501 to complete the engineering program here. Early-career engineering graduates make about $36,124. That is a strong return on a $20,501 median debt.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh landed the #14 spot for engineering value this year. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,799, while out-of-state students pay about $32,847. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $24,572. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients from North Carolina State University At Raleigh generally make around $87,336. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
East Carolina University came in at #15 for value in engineering this year. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Students borrow a median of $26,978 to complete the engineering program here. Engineering graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $65,758 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best value engineering schools. Located in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,277, compared with $24,152 for out-of-state students. Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,013 in student loans. Early-career engineering graduates make about $46,164. Set against $23,013 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Campbell University ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best value engineering schools. Located in the town of Buies Creek, Campbell University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,600. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $23,641. Early-career engineering graduates make about $54,629. Set against $23,641 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Wake Forest University earned the #18 position for value in engineering this year. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,642. Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,577 in student loans. Engineering graduates of Wake Forest University earn a median of $67,369 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,577 median debt. The acceptance rate is 22%.
Duke University ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best value engineering schools. Duke University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. Students from in state pay about $68,758 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $14,216 to complete the engineering program here. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $108,781. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Elon University landed the #20 spot for engineering value this year. Set in the suburb of Elon, Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $46,958 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $21,619. Engineering graduates of Elon University earn a median of $50,463 early in their careers. Set against $21,619 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Elon University admits about 66% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 52 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
[Engineering](/majors/engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
