Graduate and Undergraduate Business Schools in North Carolina

When you think about the fast-paced, fast-growing technology industry, Silicon Valley in California probably comes to mind first. But one of the hottest growth areas in the tech world is actually on the opposite coast, in North Carolina, and the state’s burgeoning tech scene leads to development and growth in all areas of business. North Carolina’s business degrees offer great diversity, with incredibly affordable options, top-ranked schools, and everything in between.

The Association has accredited all the schools on our list below to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and/or the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). They are all public or non-profit and regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Accreditation is an essential factor in choosing a school. It assures you that your program has clear goals, and the school has proven that it produces quality outcomes and adheres to national and international standards. Accredited schools also usually provide options for gaining real-world experience through interaction with actual businesses.

To compile our list of the best business schools in North Carolina, we first looked at the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) data. According to the NCES, the number of public and non-profit schools that grant undergraduate and graduate business degrees in North Carolina is relatively small, at 52.¹ However, according to our research, a high number of these offer accredited business programs at the undergraduate (33) and graduate (22) levels, so these are the ones we have included in our list.

This article contains key information to help you choose the school that best suits your unique needs, based on various essential factors: tuition, financial aid, entrance exam scores, acceptance rates, and more. The three sections that follow describe undergraduate programs, graduate schools, and the job prospects for business school graduates in North Carolina.

Best Business Schools in North Carolina

Best business schools in North Carolina, according to US News data.

• Duke University – #20 in Best Business Schools, #23 in Best Executive MBA, #15 in Top Part-time MBA, #15 in Best Undergraduate Business School Programs, #19 in Best Value Schools, #21 in Top National Universities
• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill – #19 in Best Business Schools, #8 in Best Undergraduate Business School Programs, #5 in Top Public Schools, #4 in Best Online MBA Programs
• North Carolina State University – #92 in Best Business Schools, #74 in Part-time MBA, #32 in Top Public Schools, #37 in Most Innovative Schools, #14 in Best Online MBA Programs, #71 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs
• East Carolina University – #194 in Best National Universities, #106 in Top Public Schools, #91 in Best Online MBA Programs, #143 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs
• University of North Carolina-Charlotte – #47 in Best Part-time MBA, #127 in Best Undergraduate Business School Programs, #106 in Top Public Schools, #47 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

33 Undergraduate Business Schools in North Carolina

As mentioned above, North Carolina has among the most diverse offerings for undergraduate business education, ranging from elite to very budget-friendly. According to data from The NCES, the overall average tuition cost is $18,600, with an average financial aid of almost $13,000, which puts NC on the budget side overall. However, there are less expensive states.¹ Well-respected Duke University has the highest undergraduate tuition at a little over $51,000, but offers generous financial aid that tops out over $41,000; Wake Forest University is a close second, with tuition and financial aid of $49,000 and $34,000 respectively.¹ Just over half of the 33 accredited schools have tuition under $10,000, with the cheapest, Craven Community College, coming in at a very inexpensive $2,053.¹

We have acceptance rate data for all but two of our undergraduate schools. They have a moderate range of 27% to 83%, except Duke University, which accepts just 11% of applicants, typical for a high-end business school.¹ Over two-thirds of the schools (22 of 31) have acceptance rates of over 50%.¹

Graduation rates for the 31 accredited undergraduate programs for business degrees in North Carolina for which we have data fall in a wide range: 23% to 95%.¹ As is often the case, the highest figures are for the schools with the toughest admittance: 95% at Duke and 91% at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (which has an excellent reputation and the second-lowest acceptance rate at 27%).¹ Of the 31 schools, 19 have graduation rates of 50% or higher.¹ The University of North Carolina Wilmington has the most favorable combination of acceptance rate (72%) and graduation rate (72%) in the state.¹

In the table below, you’ll find all the important data you need about undergraduate business schools in the “Tar Heel State,” including annual in-state tuition costs, average aid per student, acceptance rates, median SAT and ACT scores of accepted students, and graduation rates. Click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.

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24 Graduate Business Schools in North Carolina

Using data compiled from the AACSB, ACBSP, and IACBE, 22 accredited and non-profit options for obtaining an MBA or equivalent in North Carolina, including several highly ranked schools and several lesser-known options that are still worthy of consideration.^2,3,4 Following a pattern seen in many states, the overall average tuition cost for graduate study ($32,000) is a bit deceptive because it is skewed upward by three costly schools: Duke University (which, at a little over $120,000, is one of the most expensive in the country), Wake Forest University ($83,000), and the Kenan-Flagler School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($80,000). The other 19 schools are all below $40,000, with an average just north of $22,000 and the lowest just $10,485 at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.¹

We have average admission GMAT scores for 14 of the 22 schools clustered pretty tightly, ranging from 443 at Western Carolina University to 652 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Thirteen schools have a percentage of full-time faculty with doctorate degrees ranging from 66.7% to 93.8%; Duke University’s figure is 99%.

If you want to continue working while adding some education to enhance your career, there are several online MBA programs in North Carolina available. One of these is East Carolina University, an online MBA program since 2004 and has very reasonable acceptance requirements. On the higher end, the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill has a well-regarded online MBA, with several available concentrations for study, quarterly program start times, and impressive success rates students. On average, their salaries increase by 33% upon degree completion. Most online programs offer the same basic curriculum and courses as their offline equivalents.

The table below shows graduate business school tuition costs, average accepted applicant GMAT scores, the percentage of faculty with a doctorate, average undergraduate GPA figures of accepted students, and student-to-faculty ratios. Click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.

Popular graduate programs in North Carolina: Online MBA in Business Analytics | Online MBA in Healthcare Management | Online MBA in Marketing

Job Outlook for Business School Graduates in North Carolina

Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data predicts 2016 to 2026 total growth of at least 5% in 32 out of 37 business and management occupations across the US.⁶ The most growth will be seen for market analysts and marketing specialists, at 22.8% over 10 years, with financial managers coming in second at 18.7%.⁶

North Carolina’s overall unemployment rate has followed the downward trend seen in most states; it currently sits at about 4.5%, having dropped fairly steadily from a peak of over 11% during the Great Recession. Slightly more than 300,000 people were employed in the business and management sector in North Carolina in 2016.⁶ General and operations managers made up the largest subgroup with a hefty margin, with just over 52,000 employed; business operations specialists and accountants and auditors were nearly tied for second place, 31,740 and 31,470 respectively.⁶ All the other categories were below 20,000.⁶

BLS data shows an overall average annual wage in 2016 across all occupations in North Carolina of $43,916, which places the state 40th out of 51 in the US, including the District of Columbia. However, ⁶ Business and management occupations had a weighted average annual salary of around $99,000 in that year, yielding one of the largest differentials of any state between overall average wages and those in the business sector.⁶ Chief executives were the highest-paid subgroup at $225,000, well ahead of several management categories in the $140,000 to $145,000 range.⁶ Tax preparers were the lowest-paid subgroup at $44,680.⁶

Other Popular State Pages

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• Business Schools in Florida

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/
2. AACSB, Best Business Schools: https://bestbizschools.aacsb.edu/
3. ACBSP, Business Schools: https://www.acbsp.org/
4. IACBE, Business Schools: http://iacbe.org/
5. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: http://www.sacs.org/
6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, North Carolina: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nc.htm
7. US News & World Report: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools