Best Engineering Colleges in North Carolina (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 8 four-year colleges in North Carolina that report earnings data for their Engineering graduates, ordered by median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. Duke University leads the list at $143,003, followed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at $97,992 and North Carolina State University at Raleigh at $93,166.
Across the 7 schools with a reported completion median, median earnings range from $143,003 to $84,847, with a median of $90,330.
The list is predominantly public: 7 of the 8 schools are public institutions, and the lone private nonprofit is Duke University. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks 50th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
North Carolina A & T State University posts the lowest average net price at $10,846.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Engineering Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University · Durham, NC | $143,003 | $29,612 | $735 | 5.7% |
| Duke University ranks 1st on this list with median earnings of $143,003 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing, and it posts a six-year completion rate of 97%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer Engineering (134 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (79 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (67 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($174,522), Mechanical Engineering ($120,991), Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($105,921) | |||||
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC | $97,992 | $11,655 | $2,004 | 15.3% |
| A public university in Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill admits 15% of applicants and reports an average net price of $11,655. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Biomedical/Medical Engineering (127 graduates) | |||||
| 3 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $93,166 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh graduates 85% of its students within six years and lists median earnings of $93,166 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (249 graduates), Textile Sciences and Engineering (204 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (184 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($110,416), Chemical Engineering ($104,705), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($102,178) | |||||
| 4 | North Carolina A & T State University · Greensboro, NC | $90,330 | $10,846 | $8,223 | 49.9% |
| With an average net price of $10,846, North Carolina A & T State University ranks 4th on this list and sits at 141st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (82 graduates), Industrial Engineering (43 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (34 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Chemical Engineering ($109,537), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($98,061), Industrial Engineering ($93,183) | |||||
| 5 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte · Charlotte, NC | $89,498 | $15,435 | $10,357 | 79.6% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte reports median earnings of $89,498 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 69%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (175 graduates), Civil Engineering (110 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (103 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($97,109), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($93,953), Mechanical Engineering ($88,265) | |||||
| 6 | University of North Carolina Asheville · Asheville, NC | $88,346 | $12,250 | $8,219 | 91.9% |
| Ranking 6th on this list, University of North Carolina Asheville admits 92% of applicants and has an average net price of $12,250. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering, General (18 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Engineering, General ($88,346) | |||||
| 7 | East Carolina University · Greenville, NC | $84,847 | $15,739 | $10,046 | 89.2% |
| East Carolina University lists median earnings of $84,847 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing and ranks 180th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering, General (87 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Engineering, General ($84,847) | |||||
| 8 | Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC | $74,979 | $13,315 | $8,816 | 81.8% |
| Western Carolina University ranks 8th on this list, admits 82% of applicants, and reports a six-year completion rate of 60%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering, General (50 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (29 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 7 schools with a reported completion median. Duke University leads the list at $143,003, and the gap to second-ranked University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $45,011.
Job market context in North Carolina
Engineering graduates in North Carolina enter a labor market that includes occupations such as Civil Engineers, Industrial Engineers, and Mechanical Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $114,630, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $89,123. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 10.0% higher, with 10,110 projected openings a year, or about 330 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing; the market figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed program.