

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology
What happens to students who enroll at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
Typical debt at graduation equals about 19% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.
Earnings rank: 92nd percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (NC wage index 0.87). This drives the Outcome Rating.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.
Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.
| Major | 1 yr after | 4 yrs after | vs. national | Rank (pay) | Rank (wage-adj.) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $90,293 | $137,047 | +28% | #47 of 349 | #29 | $13,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $85,618 | $135,874 | +99% | #7 of 1176 | #3 | $14,239 |
| Applied Mathematics | $75,105 | $119,839 | +31% | #6 of 45 | #5 | $14,135 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $49,967 | $110,204 | +88% | #2 of 275 | #2 | — |
| Economics | $65,344 | $103,846 | +26% | #55 of 368 | #36 | $14,135 |
| Physics | $62,647 | $103,477 | +35% | #4 of 107 | #4 | $17,150 |
| Mathematics | $53,402 | $101,599 | +46% | #22 of 309 | #18 | $15,127 |
| Information Science/Studies | $75,834 | $100,940 | +18% | #15 of 148 | #6 | $13,197 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $70,561 | $97,992 | +5% | #41 of 118 | #15 | $15,000 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | $44,503 | $80,344 | +27% | #1 of 6 | #1 | $14,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $71,594 | $78,585 | -12% | #784 of 966 | #645 | $19,802 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $52,217 | $76,811 | +13% | #38 of 187 | #29 | $12,750 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $48,252 | $74,403 | +1% | #13 of 34 | #8 | $14,000 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | $56,721 | $72,892 | -4% | #57 of 93 | #37 | $17,500 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $54,207 | $72,567 | +7% | #27 of 76 | #13 | $11,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $37,709 | $72,422 | +36% | #23 of 476 | #17 | $13,000 |
| Political Science and Government | $41,200 | $72,001 | +14% | #105 of 565 | #53 | $14,569 |
| Philosophy | $34,284 | $70,709 | +30% | #10 of 86 | #4 | $14,618 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $43,348 | $70,240 | +25% | #44 of 660 | #12 | $14,625 |
| Area Studies | $31,955 | $65,933 | +16% | #20 of 70 | #10 | $13,261 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $33,976 | $65,337 | +19% | #35 of 265 | #10 | $12,000 |
| Chemistry | $32,516 | $64,981 | +-0% | #121 of 209 | #67 | $14,000 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $32,508 | $64,570 | +17% | #40 of 225 | #22 | $13,379 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $31,165 | $63,286 | +16% | #80 of 610 | #50 | $16,500 |
| Biology | $33,471 | $62,047 | +8% | #278 of 841 | #141 | $15,000 |
| Music | $32,880 | $58,127 | +36% | #13 of 268 | #3 | $18,007 |
| History | $34,592 | $57,952 | +14% | #80 of 459 | #39 | $14,250 |
| Psychology | $31,804 | $57,477 | +13% | #154 of 1027 | #70 | $13,999 |
| Anthropology | $36,211 | $56,589 | +21% | #19 of 188 | #9 | $12,500 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $26,342 | $54,691 | +6% | #42 of 103 | #10 | $11,364 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $24,658 | $54,181 | +8% | #33 of 90 | #17 | $16,782 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | $33,690 | $52,716 | +27% | #14 of 45 | #9 | $12,550 |
| Sociology | $30,623 | $51,801 | -2% | #242 of 462 | #134 | $14,050 |
| English Language and Literature | $30,060 | $51,208 | +5% | #207 of 576 | #93 | $14,794 |
| Geography and Cartography | $42,454 | $49,476 | -14% | #107 of 117 | #91 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $29,897 | $49,209 | +4% | #282 of 680 | #191 | $12,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $24,005 | $41,722 | +1% | #206 of 423 | #133 | $11,599 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $26,457 | $41,362 | +4% | #107 of 255 | #67 | $15,827 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $23,633 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $22,183 | — | — | — | — | $14,825 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.
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Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.
| Category | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $7,019 | $37,360 |
| Room | $7,366 | |
| Board | $5,650 | |
| Total Cost (On-Campus) | $26,109 | $56,450 |
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $3,165 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $5,143 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,220 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,106 |
| $110,001+ | $24,077 |
Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.
Careers that graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's top programs commonly pursue.
Deciding between a dorm and buying near campus? Run the numbers for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — four years of dorm costs vs. owning, including what you’d recover at resale. Buy vs Dorm calculator →
Compare with other 4-Year public institutions of similar size.
Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: October 2026 | Methodology