Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks North Carolina Central University #338 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. North Carolina Central University sits in the 56.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting graduates who earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions. Azimuth ranks North Carolina Central University #192 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- North Carolina Central University's composite standing reflects a consistent pattern of delivering earnings beyond expectations for students who might otherwise face limited pathways — a signal that the university's outcomes run ahead of what its incoming student profile would predict. Graduates earn median $50,812 four years after enrollment, and the university's mobility ranking underscores its role as a durable economic bridge for the communities it serves.
Azimuth ranks North Carolina Central University #338 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Durham, NC, North Carolina Central University enrolls roughly 6,081 undergraduates. Retention stands at 72.7% and the six-year graduation rate is 41.6%, reflecting the university's commitment to seeing students through to degree completion. The composite is anchored by what North Carolina Central University does for the students it serves. 58.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 32.9% are first-generation college students — a profile that places the university among the more access-oriented institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing North Carolina Central University in the 56.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program concentration in Social Sciences shapes both the institution's academic identity and the career pathways its graduates pursue. Return on investment sits lower in the composite. Azimuth ranks North Carolina Central University #1063 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median $50,812 four years after enrollment, a figure that reflects NC's regional labor market and a student population whose outcomes represent meaningful returns relative to the no-degree-equivalent baseline of $30,928 for the state, even where they fall below the median at higher-earning peer institutions. Affordability sits in the 55.5 percentile and access in the 90.7 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, rounding out a composite profile defined more by broad access and earnings uplift than by raw earnings levels.
North Carolina Central University's published cost of attendance is $26,556. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $13,032, low-to-middle-income families pay around $13,882, middle-income families pay about $17,527, middle-to-higher-income families pay approximately $22,401, and higher-income families pay roughly $23,658. Azimuth ranks North Carolina Central University #635 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. North Carolina Central's tuition structure as a public historically Black university positions it competitively on sticker price relative to peer public institutions. The institution participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state aid programs, and need-based aid is available to qualifying students. Families should review the institution's financial aid page for current aid policies and application requirements. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $28,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $19,245; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $50,812, median federal debt of $28,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $319 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
North Carolina Central University is a strong fit for students from low-income or first-generation backgrounds who want an accessible public university in Durham, NC with a program mix anchored in the social sciences and applied professional fields. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $50,812, placing North Carolina Central University in the 10.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions — and North Carolina Central University sits in the 56.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, meaning graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions relative to similar students at comparable institutions. North Carolina Central University enrolls a large share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 58.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 32.9% are first-generation — and the institution's completion outcomes for that population, alongside its broad-access admission rate of 87.0%, make it one of the more genuinely open pathways to a four-year degree in NC. North Carolina Central University sits in the 5.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the dominant program mix in Social Sciences and related applied fields means students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes, and families should weigh median student debt of $28,250 against the earnings trajectory when planning.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
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This is the North Carolina Central University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
North Carolina Central University's published cost of attendance is $26,556. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $13,032, low-to-middle-income families pay around $13,882, middle-income families pay about $17,527, middle-to-higher-income families pay approximately $22,401, and higher-income families pay roughly $23,658.
Azimuth ranks North Carolina Central University #635 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
North Carolina Central's tuition structure as a public historically Black university positions it competitively on sticker price relative to peer public institutions. The institution participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state aid programs, and need-based aid is available to qualifying students.
Families should review the institution's [financial aid page](https://www.nccu.edu/admissions/financial-aid/) for current aid policies and application requirements. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $28,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $19,245; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $50,812, median federal debt of $28,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $319 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $50,812, placing North Carolina Central University in the 10.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing North Carolina Central University in the 56.0 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Those figures represent meaningful returns relative to NC's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $30,928 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. Azimuth ranks North Carolina Central University #1063 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The earnings pattern at North Carolina Central University is anchored by its Social Sciences concentration, with program-level outcomes spanning applied, professional, and public-service fields. Criminal Justice stands out as the program combining broad enrollment scale with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile.
Among the most-enrolled programs, Criminal Justice program graduates 122 students with median four-year earnings of $48,443, and Azimuth ranks it #165 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Business Administration and Social Sciences round out the high-enrollment tier, with graduates earning median four-year earnings of $54,999 and $43,859, respectively.
On the higher-earning end, Psychology, General and Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General deliver median four-year earnings of $44,053 and $46,136, reflecting the salary upside available in more specialized or professionally oriented fields at North Carolina Central University.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Middle Georgia State University Similar quality tier in Southeast (#10860 ranked) | GA | 100% | $40,863 | #10860 | Compare |
Central Washington University Similar quality tier (#10854 ranked) | WA | 91% | $61,580 | #10854 | Compare |
Kansas State University Similar quality tier (#10851 ranked) | KS | 82% | $57,262 | #10851 | Compare |
Wichita State University Similar quality tier (#10865 ranked) | KS | 94% | $51,532 | #10865 | Compare |
Western Michigan University Similar quality tier (#10845 ranked) | MI | 85% | $53,562 | #10845 | Compare |
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
60 graduates
Computer and Information Sciences, General
20 graduates
Accounting and Related Services
20 graduates
Business Administration, Management and Operations
102 graduates
Biology, General
48 graduates
North Carolina Central University's program mix is anchored in social sciences, criminal justice, and applied professional fields — a signature that reflects the university's identity as a historically Black university in Durham serving a broad range of students pursuing careers in public service, law, and community-oriented fields. Social Sciences accounts for 14% of graduates, followed by Business at 13% and Education at 3%, a distribution that shapes both the institution's earnings profile and the career pathways most graduates pursue.
Across 26 programs serving roughly 998 students annually, 18 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. The program with the strongest combination of scale and earnings is Criminal Justice, which anchors the institution's return profile by pairing meaningful cohort size with competitive four-year earnings.
Among the most popular programs, Criminal Justice program graduates 122 students annually with median earnings of $48,443 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #165 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration and Social Sciences follow as the next largest programs by cohort, with graduates earning $54,999 and $43,859 respectively four years after enrollment.
The highest-earning programs at North Carolina Central University are Nursing, where graduates earn median earnings of $90,760 four years after enrollment and Azimuth ranks the program #179 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Business Administration, with graduates earning $54,999 and Azimuth ranking it #262 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Several of North Carolina Central University's strongest programs feed directly into stable workforce pathways — particularly in criminal justice, nursing, and business, where graduates enter the labor market with defined credentials and consistent employer demand.
Fields like Biology, General and Social Work, with four-year median earnings of $54,192 and $49,856 respectively, reflect the university's applied-professional orientation. Social sciences and pre-law adjacent programs, by contrast, are more likely to be grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount the longer-term trajectory of graduates who continue to law school or graduate study.
The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national labor-market trends.
