2026 Best Value History Schools in North Carolina
[History](/majors/history/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 47 schools to find the best return on investment for history students.
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2026 Best Value History Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in history, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value History Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill the best value for a degree in history in North Carolina. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. History graduates carry a median of $14,838 in student loans. History graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $34,592 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,838 median debt. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Carolina University earned it the #2 place for history. Set in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,004 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Western Carolina University generally make around $34,909. Set against $24,004 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
Fayetteville State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in history, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,353 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,353. History graduates carry a median of $27,869 in student loans. Early-career history graduates make about $41,449. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina At Pembroke earned it the #4 place for history. Located in the town of Pembroke, University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,648, while out-of-state students pay about $7,648. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the history program here. History graduates of University Of North Carolina At Pembroke earn a median of $27,241 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a great value for students pursuing a degree in history, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,661 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,012 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,750 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Greensboro generally make around $27,099. That is a strong return on a $24,750 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte landed the #6 spot for history value 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, while out-of-state students pay about $22,492. Typical student debt for history graduates is $24,457. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte generally make around $33,791. That is a strong return on a $24,457 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Asheville earned the #7 position for value in history this year. Located in the city of Asheville, University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,501, compared with $24,849 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for history graduates is $16,690. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Asheville generally make around $28,205. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Asheville admits about 92% of applicants.
Appalachian State University placed #8 among the best values for history. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. In-state tuition and fees average $7,579, compared with $25,212 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,400 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $28,454. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Davidson College earned the #9 position for value in history this year. Set in the suburb of Davidson, Davidson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $64,430 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for history graduates is $19,906. Early-career history graduates make about $41,505. That is a strong return on a $19,906 median debt. The acceptance rate is 13%.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #10 for value in history this year. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,799 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Typical student debt for history graduates is $19,800. Early-career history graduates make about $28,658. That is a strong return on a $19,800 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
East Carolina University earned the #11 position for value in history this year. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,361, while out-of-state students pay about $23,638. Typical student debt for history graduates is $27,000. History graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $33,219 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. East Carolina University admits about 89% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington placed #12 among the best values for history. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,277, compared with $24,152 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,500 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $25,047. That is a strong return on a $24,500 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington admits about 64% of applicants.
Wake Forest University landed the #13 spot for history value this year. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,642. Typical student debt for history graduates is $23,000. History graduates of Wake Forest University earn a median of $67,369 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. Roughly 22% of applicants are accepted.
Duke University earned the #14 position for value in history this year. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,758 in tuition and fees. History graduates carry a median of $13,000 in student loans. Early-career history graduates make about $60,750. That is a strong return on a $13,000 median debt. Duke University admits about 6% of applicants.
Elon University landed the #15 spot for history value this year. Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elon. Students from in state pay about $46,958 in tuition and fees. History graduates carry a median of $21,619 in student loans. History graduates of Elon University earn a median of $50,463 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,619 median debt. Elon University admits about 66% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 47 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
