2026 Best Value Educational/Instructional Technology Schools in North Carolina

[Educational/Instructional Technology](/majors/education/instructional-media-design/educational-instructional-technology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value educational/instructional technology schools.
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2026 Best Value Educational/Instructional Technology Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in educational/instructional technology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Educational/Instructional Technology Schools
For return on investment in educational/instructional technology, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Greensboro this year. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,661, compared with $24,012 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,977 to complete the educational/instructional technology program here. Educational/instructional Technology graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $42,595 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill one of the best values for educational/instructional technology. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Students borrow a median of $15,117 to complete the educational/instructional technology program here. Early-career educational/instructional technology graduates make about $61,361. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of North Carolina At Charlotte one of the best values for educational/instructional technology. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,239, compared with $22,492 for out-of-state students. Educational/instructional Technology graduates carry a median of $24,673 in student loans. Early-career educational/instructional technology graduates make about $64,530. That is a strong return on a $24,673 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte admits about 80% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Appalachian State University one of the best values for educational/instructional technology. Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,579, while out-of-state students pay about $25,212. Educational/instructional Technology graduates carry a median of $21,992 in student loans. Educational/instructional Technology graduates of Appalachian State University earn a median of $42,340 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,992 median debt. Appalachian State University admits about 90% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in educational/instructional technology will find it at East Carolina University, which ranked #5. 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, compared with $23,638 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,747 to complete the educational/instructional technology program here. Educational/instructional Technology graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $58,529 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,747 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #6 for value in educational/instructional technology this year. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for educational/instructional technology graduates is $22,113. Soon after graduation, educational/instructional technology degree recipients from North Carolina State University At Raleigh generally make around $60,244. Set against $22,113 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Carolina State University At Raleigh admits about 42% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earned the #7 position for value in educational/instructional technology this year. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,277 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,152. Typical student debt for educational/instructional technology graduates is $23,013. Early-career educational/instructional technology graduates make about $46,164. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Gardner Webb University came in at #8 for value in educational/instructional technology this year. Located in the rural area of Boiling Springs, Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $34,750. Educational/instructional Technology graduates carry a median of $25,033 in student loans. Educational/instructional Technology graduates of Gardner Webb University earn a median of $52,313 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.