2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in North Carolina
[General Educational Leadership & Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/educational-leadership-and-administration-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 37 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools.
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2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general educational leadership & administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools
Central Piedmont Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools in North Carolina. Located in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,792, while out-of-state students pay about $8,936. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $11,861. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $40,629. Set against $11,861 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Fayetteville Technical Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general educational leadership & administration, landing the #2 spot this year. Fayetteville Technical Community College is a large public school located in the city of Fayetteville. In-state tuition and fees average $2,628, with out-of-state students paying around $8,772. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $16,909. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $40,584. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Stanly Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the town of Albemarle, Stanly Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $2,672 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,816 for out-of-state students. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Stanly Community College generally make around $41,920.
Johnston Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Johnston Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Smithfield. Students from in state pay about $2,756 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,900. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $9,490. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $37,472. Set against $9,490 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #5 makes Haywood Community College one of the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Set in the rural area of Clyde, Haywood Community College is a small public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,580 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,724 for out-of-state students. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Haywood Community College generally make around $35,767.
Fayetteville State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,353, while out-of-state students pay about $8,353. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $27,869 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Fayetteville State University generally make around $63,764. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Fayetteville State University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $15,117 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $67,864. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro placed #8 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,661 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,012. Students borrow a median of $24,977 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Greensboro generally make around $75,462. That is a strong return on a $24,977 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Western Carolina University came in at #9 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,630, with out-of-state students paying around $8,630. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,174. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $66,432. Set against $24,174 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte came in at #10 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, with out-of-state students paying around $22,492. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,673 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $67,597 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,673 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Appalachian State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. In-state tuition and fees average $7,579, with out-of-state students paying around $25,212. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $21,992 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Appalachian State University earn a median of $69,507 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,992 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Alamance Community College earned the #12 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the suburb of Graham, Alamance Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,592, while out-of-state students pay about $8,736. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $6,625 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Alamance Community College earn a median of $37,585 early in their careers. Set against $6,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
East Carolina University landed the #13 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,747. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $76,032 early in their careers. Set against $24,747 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #14 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,799, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $22,113. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $78,549. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington came in at #15 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,277, with out-of-state students paying around $24,152. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $23,013. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington generally make around $69,402. That is a strong return on a $23,013 median debt. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Wingate University came in at #16 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the suburb of Wingate, Wingate University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,576. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $25,556. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Wingate University earn a median of $82,174 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,556 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Gardner Webb University landed the #17 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Boiling Springs. Students from in state pay about $34,750 in tuition and fees. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $25,033 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $70,840. That is a strong return on a $25,033 median debt. Gardner Webb University admits about 77% of applicants.
Queens University Of Charlotte landed the #18 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Queens University Of Charlotte is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charlotte. Students from in state pay about $45,846 in tuition and fees. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $27,245 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $62,292. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Queens University Of Charlotte admits about 62% of applicants.
High Point University landed the #19 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Located in the city of High Point, High Point University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,312. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $23,785 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of High Point University earn a median of $113,352 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 37 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
