2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in North Carolina
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Best North Carolina Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking as one tool you can use to help make this decision.
After analyzing 50 schools, we came up with our list of those that were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in North Carolina. This ranking isn't just a listing of 'cheap' schools. Instead, it is noting which schools offer a high quality education for a reasonable price. Because of this, it is possible for one college to rank better than another, even if the latter college has a lower average cost.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
To calculate the average cost amount, we sum up the total expenses to attend a school - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other living expenses. This estimate is meant to give you a better picture of how much money you'll have to pay each year, either through self-pay, loans, or external scholarships.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors, such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those seeking diversity and overall quality.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in North Carolina
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tops this year’s ranking as the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in North Carolina. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the large public school awarded 6,076 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UNC Chapel Hill is 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,228 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill is about $99,093. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. UNC Chapel Hill also took the #4 spot in our Best Colleges in North Carolina rankings.
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A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list means University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNCSA is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 196 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At UNCSA, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.0 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $22,278 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNCSA is about $90,226. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great value ranking, UNCSA is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
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A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list means North Carolina State University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,953 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at NC State graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,259 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the NC State is $106,254. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our value rankings, NC State also did well on our Best Colleges in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #4 in North Carolina on this year’s best value ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 4,172 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Appalachian State to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $19,715. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State is $84,972. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Appalachian State also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Out of the 50 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, East Carolina University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, the large public school awarded 5,140 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at ECU to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $22,388 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from ECU is $99,403. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #6. Wilmington, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,954 students in 2018-2019.
At UNCW, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $25,350 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNCW is about $109,005. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. UNCW excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
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Western Carolina University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina ranking. WCU is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 2,288 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at WCU about 4.4 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $18,740. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from WCU is about $82,269. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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University of North Carolina at Asheville did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #8. UNCA is a small public school situated in Asheville, North Carolina. It awarded 874 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at UNCA to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $20,555 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNCA is $88,798. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, the large public school handed out 3,512 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UNC Greensboro, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,937 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNC Greensboro is $89,118. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school located in Charlotte, North Carolina that handed out 5,974 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UNC Charlotte is 4.5 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $25,019 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UNC Charlotte is $113,336. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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North Carolina A & T State University landed the #11 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, the fairly large public school awarded 1,686 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At NC A&T, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $18,487 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from NC A&T be around $85,780. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Winston - Salem State University landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking. WSSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 1,026 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at WSSU to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $20,512 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from WSSU is $94,355. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Elizabeth City State University landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking. Located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the small public school handed out 226 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at ECSU is 4.7 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $13,496 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from ECSU is $63,026. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #14, Elon University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list. Located in Elon, North Carolina, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1,666 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Elon is 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $52,756 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Elon is $214,189. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Elon not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #5 on our Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
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With a ranking of #15, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list. UNCP is a medium-sized public school situated in Pembroke, North Carolina. It awarded 990 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UNCP, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $17,160. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UNCP is $78,421. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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North Carolina Central University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #16. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,145 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at North Carolina Central University about 4.7 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $24,466 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the North Carolina Central University is $113,767. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Fayetteville State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,017 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Fayetteville State University graduates in less than 4.7 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $17,521 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Fayetteville State University be around $81,823. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Davidson College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina ranking. Located in Davidson, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 560 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Davidson about 4.0 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $70,569. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Davidson is $282,276. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Davidson did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
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Wake Forest University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina ranking. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,431 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.0 years for the average student at Wake Forest University to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $74,358 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University is $301,150. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Wake Forest University is ranked #3 for overall quality in North Carolina.
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Duke University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,303 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Duke graduates in less than 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $76,929 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Duke is $315,409. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Duke is ranked #1 for overall quality in North Carolina.
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With a ranking of #21, High Point University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list. Located in High Point, North Carolina, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1,103 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at High Point to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $54,720 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from High Point is about $224,352. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great value ranking, High Point is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
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Salem College landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking. Salem is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 217 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Salem, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.0 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $48,196 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Salem is about $194,712. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Meredith College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #23. Meredith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 484 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Meredith is 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $52,670 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Meredith is $216,474. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Queens University of Charlotte ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in North Carolina list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 400 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Queens to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $50,590 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Queens is $209,949. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Catawba College landed the #25 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in North Carolina ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Salisbury, North Carolina, and it awarded 300 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Catawba to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $45,954 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Catawba is $190,709. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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