Top 50 Best Master's Degree Programs in North Carolina by ROI

Every Master's Degree program in North Carolina ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in North Carolina

232

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$437,452

Across all North Carolina programs

Average Annual Cost

$35,548

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	+$3,873,898	$238,213	$25,181	N/A	Full ROI →
2	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	International Business.	+$3,030,142	$201,782	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
3	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies.	+$2,796,862	$190,118	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
4	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$2,265,702	$163,560	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
5	East Carolina University Grad rate: 63.6%	Dentistry.	+$2,252,502	$156,994	$23,689	N/A	Full ROI →
6	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$2,111,418	$150,089	$25,181	N/A	Full ROI →
7	Wake Forest University Grad rate: 90.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$2,103,124	$155,438	$82,818	N/A	Full ROI →
8	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations.	+$1,821,162	$141,333	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
9	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Grad rate: 57.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,796,764	$133,801	$19,628	N/A	Full ROI →
10	Campbell University Grad rate: 55.7%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	+$1,731,096	$134,430	$58,752	N/A	Full ROI →
11	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Dentistry.	+$1,671,678	$128,102	$25,181	N/A	Full ROI →
12	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Grad rate: 84.6%	Computer Software and Media Applications.	+$1,558,174	$122,470	$25,613	N/A	Full ROI →
13	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Grad rate: 68.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,523,852	$120,396	$22,034	N/A	Full ROI →
14	Wingate University Grad rate: 50.6%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	+$1,462,140	$120,885	$57,780	N/A	Full ROI →
15	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.	+$1,459,398	$117,488	$25,181	N/A	Full ROI →
16	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Grad rate: 68.8%	Business/Managerial Economics.	+$1,425,332	$115,470	$22,034	N/A	Full ROI →
17	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Grad rate: 84.6%	Computer Science.	+$1,374,914	$113,307	$25,613	N/A	Full ROI →
18	Wingate University Grad rate: 50.6%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$1,339,320	$114,744	$57,780	N/A	Full ROI →
19	Wingate University Grad rate: 50.6%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$1,331,400	$114,348	$57,780	N/A	Full ROI →
20	Methodist University Grad rate: 40.5%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$1,331,090	$113,913	$53,585	N/A	Full ROI →
21	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Grad rate: 68.8%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	+$1,286,872	$108,547	$22,034	N/A	Full ROI →
22	Campbell University Grad rate: 55.7%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$1,279,156	$111,833	$58,752	N/A	Full ROI →
23	Gardner-Webb University Grad rate: 56.7%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$1,207,554	$107,259	$48,813	N/A	Full ROI →
24	Western Carolina University Grad rate: 59.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,195,106	$103,661	$19,057	N/A	Full ROI →
25	University of North Carolina Wilmington Grad rate: 72.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,187,934	$103,988	$25,913	N/A	Full ROI →
26	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Engineering-Related Fields.	+$1,169,222	$108,736	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
27	Elon University Grad rate: 83.1%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$1,147,662	$105,320	$59,369	N/A	Full ROI →
28	Winston-Salem State University Grad rate: 49.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,146,630	$101,566	$22,345	N/A	Full ROI →
29	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Grad rate: 84.6%	Veterinary Medicine.	+$1,125,294	$100,826	$25,613	N/A	Full ROI →
30	East Carolina University Grad rate: 63.6%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$1,106,082	$99,673	$23,689	N/A	Full ROI →
31	Wake Forest University Grad rate: 90.3%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$1,102,324	$105,398	$82,818	N/A	Full ROI →
32	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Grad rate: 68.8%	Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology.	+$1,100,832	$99,245	$22,034	N/A	Full ROI →
33	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Economics.	+$1,081,462	$104,348	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
34	South University-High Point Grad rate: 11.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,048,030	$98,023	$36,215	N/A	Full ROI →
35	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,041,678	$96,602	$25,181	N/A	Full ROI →
36	East Carolina University Grad rate: 63.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,017,162	$95,227	$23,689	N/A	Full ROI →
37	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,011,622	$100,856	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
38	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Grad rate: 84.6%	Mechanical Engineering.	+$960,414	$92,582	$25,613	N/A	Full ROI →
39	Duke University Grad rate: 96.2%	Biomedical/Medical Engineering.	+$945,342	$97,542	$82,749	N/A	Full ROI →
40	Queens University of Charlotte Grad rate: 67.0%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$937,412	$94,565	$56,944	N/A	Full ROI →
41	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Grad rate: 68.8%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$916,252	$90,016	$22,034	N/A	Full ROI →
42	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Grad rate: 68.8%	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.	+$884,252	$88,416	$22,034	N/A	Full ROI →
43	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Grad rate: 84.6%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$878,294	$88,476	$25,613	N/A	Full ROI →
44	Wake Forest University Grad rate: 90.3%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$873,144	$93,939	$82,818	N/A	Full ROI →
45	Fayetteville State University Grad rate: 39.3%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$866,344	$86,927	$16,098	N/A	Full ROI →
46	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Law.	+$850,778	$87,057	$25,181	N/A	Full ROI →
47	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Grad rate: 84.6%	Civil Engineering.	+$837,954	$86,459	$25,613	N/A	Full ROI →
48	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Grad rate: 57.9%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$818,204	$84,873	$19,628	N/A	Full ROI →
49	Gardner-Webb University Grad rate: 56.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$813,754	$87,569	$48,813	N/A	Full ROI →
50	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Grad rate: 91.7%	Health and Medical Administrative Services.	+$760,038	$82,520	$25,181	N/A	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.