Graduates of University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn median earnings of $81,033 four years after enrollment, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 86.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $8,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 83.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill #99 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill reflects a broad but analytically oriented program mix. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 15% of degrees, followed by Business at 6% and other STEM fields at 3%. The Communication and Media Studies program graduates 560 students annually with median earnings of $70,240 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General ranks #57 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 558 graduates earning median earnings of $62,047, while Economics ranks #24 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $103,846 and Computer Science ranks #30 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $137,047.
Graduates of University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn median earnings of $81,033 four years after enrollment, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 86.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $8,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 83.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill #99 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill reflects a broad but analytically oriented program mix. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 15% of degrees, followed by Business at 6% and other STEM fields at 3%. The Communication and Media Studies program graduates 560 students annually with median earnings of $70,240 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General ranks #57 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 558 graduates earning median earnings of $62,047, while Economics ranks #24 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $103,846 and Computer Science ranks #30 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $137,047.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn median earnings of $81,033 four years after enrollment, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 86.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $8,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 83.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill #99 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill reflects a broad but analytically oriented program mix. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 15% of degrees, followed by Business at 6% and other STEM fields at 3%. The Communication and Media Studies program graduates 560 students annually with median earnings of $70,240 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General ranks #57 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 558 graduates earning median earnings of $62,047, while Economics ranks #24 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $103,846 and Computer Science ranks #30 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $137,047.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, with Social Sciences accounting for 15% of graduates, Business representing 6%, and other STEM fields contributing 3%. The largest program by cohort is Communication and Media Studies with 560 graduates, followed by Biology, General (558 graduates) and Behavioral Sciences (490 graduates). Computer Science combines strong enrollment with competitive earnings, making it a central driver of the institution's overall financial outcomes. Across 46 programs serving roughly 6,450 students annually, 37 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a broad portfolio for a flagship public research university. The strongest national ranks cluster in applied and quantitative fields. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #30 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 432 graduates earning $137,047. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #4 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $135,874, and Azimuth ranks Applied Mathematics #6 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 211 graduates earning $119,839. Among the most popular programs, Azimuth ranks Biology, General #57 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $62,047 — a strong result given its large cohort of 558 graduates. Azimuth ranks Economics #24 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 449 graduates earning $103,846, as described in how Azimuth evaluates programs. Several of University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill's high-earning programs feed directly into the national labor market — particularly Computer Science, Economics, and Nursing, where four-year earnings reflect strong employer demand and direct-to-workforce pathways. Programs like Communication and Media Studies and Computer Science are more likely grad-school-dependent, where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to professional or doctoral programs. The provides additional context for how these program families align with national wage trends and hiring demand. ```
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn median earnings of $81,033 four years after enrollment, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 86.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $8,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the 83.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill #99 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill reflects a broad but analytically oriented program mix. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 15% of degrees, followed by Business at 6% and other STEM fields at 3%. The Communication and Media Studies program graduates 560 students annually with median earnings of $70,240 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General ranks #57 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 558 graduates earning median earnings of $62,047, while Economics ranks #24 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $103,846 and Computer Science ranks #30 among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $137,047.
