by our College Data Analytics TeamWhen pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking is part of that endeavor. This list may shock you as many typically expensive schools are very generous with need-based financial aid.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
After analyzing 53 schools in North Carolina, we came up with our list of those that offered the best value Associate Degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best value schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking, we first consider its average net price of students from families making $48-$75k a year. The net price is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Cleveland Community College tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $48-$75k) school for associate degrees in North Carolina for overall quality. Cleveland Community College is a small public school situated in Shelby, North Carolina.
Not only is Cleveland Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in North Carolina for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,056.
A rank of #2 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina list means Durham Technical Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. Durham Technical Community College is a small public school located in Durham, North Carolina.
Not only is Durham Technical Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in North Carolina for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $3,024.
Learn More About Value at Durham Technical Community College
Out of the 53 associate degree schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large public school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, North Carolina State University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of North Carolina. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,394.
Out of the 53 associate degree schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Wake Technical Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Wake Technical Community College is a large public school located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Wake Technical Community College has the honor of being ranked #3 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,875.
A rank of #5 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina list means Beaufort County Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. Beaufort County Community College is a small public school located in Washington, North Carolina.
Beaufort County Community College has the honor of being ranked #7 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,053.
Fayetteville Technical Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. FTCC is a public institution located in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Fayetteville Technical Community College has the honor of being ranked #12 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,430.
Read full value report on Fayetteville Technical Community College
Southwestern Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Sylva, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Southwestern Community College has the honor of being ranked #43 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,332.
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #8. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is located in Salisbury, North Carolina and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is ranked #20 for quality in the state of North Carolina. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,812.
Johnston Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina list. Johnston Community College is a public institution located in Smithfield, North Carolina.
Johnston Community College has the honor of being ranked #4 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,781.
Central Piedmont Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Central Piedmont Community College is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Not only is Central Piedmont Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in North Carolina for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,661.
Learn More About Value at Central Piedmont Community College
Pitt Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Winterville, North Carolina.
Pitt Community College has the honor of being ranked #13 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,850.
Forsyth Technical Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina list. This medium-sized public school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Forsyth Technical Community College is ranked #10 for quality in the state of North Carolina. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,202.
Read full value report on Forsyth Technical Community College
Lenoir Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Lenoir Community College is a small public school located in Kinston, North Carolina.
Not only is Lenoir Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #15 in North Carolina for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,214.
Wayne Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Located in Goldsboro, North Carolina, the school is a small public institution.
Not only is Wayne Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #18 in North Carolina for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,206.
Richmond Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Hamlet, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Richmond Community College has the honor of being ranked #31 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,279.
Cape Fear Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina list. This fairly large public school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Not only is Cape Fear Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #27 in North Carolina for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,743.
Central Carolina Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. This small public school is located in Sanford, North Carolina.
Not only is Central Carolina Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #21 in North Carolina for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,725.
Edgecombe Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Edgecombe Community College is a small public school situated in Tarboro, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Edgecombe Community College is ranked #26 for quality in the state of North Carolina. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,014.
Mitchell Community College landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Mitchell Community College is located in Statesville, North Carolina and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Mitchell Community College has the honor of being ranked #17 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,874.
South Piedmont Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. This small public school is located in Polkton, North Carolina.
South Piedmont Community College has the honor of being ranked #29 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,415.
Wilkes Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina list. Located in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the school is a small public institution.
Not only is Wilkes Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #47 in North Carolina for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $3,511.
Catawba Valley Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #22. CVCC is a small public school situated in Hickory, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Catawba Valley Community College is ranked #19 for quality in the state of North Carolina. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $8,614.
Gaston College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Gaston College is a small public school located in Dallas, North Carolina.
Gaston College has the honor of being ranked #14 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $9,284.
College of the Albemarle came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. This small public school is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Not only is College of the Albemarle a great value, but it is also ranked #42 in North Carolina for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,624.
Vance-Granville Community College landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in North Carolina ranking. Vance-Granville Community College is located in Henderson, North Carolina and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Vance-Granville Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #44 in North Carolina for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,365.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.