2026 Best Value Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented Schools in North Carolina
[Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented](/majors/education/special-education/teaching-the-gifted-and-talented/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for education/teaching of the gifted & talented students.
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2026 Best Value Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in education/teaching of the gifted & talented, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented Schools
Western Carolina University tops our 2026 list of the best value education/teaching of the gifted & talented schools in North Carolina. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,630 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for education/teaching of the gifted & talented graduates is $20,485. Soon after graduation, education/teaching of the gifted & talented degree recipients from Western Carolina University generally make around $44,926. Set against $20,485 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a great value for students pursuing a degree in education/teaching of the gifted & talented, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,239, compared with $22,492 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for education/teaching of the gifted & talented graduates is $26,602. Education/teaching Of The Gifted & Talented graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $47,549 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,602 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in education/teaching of the gifted & talented will find it at Queens University Of Charlotte, which ranked #3. Queens University Of Charlotte is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charlotte. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,846. Typical student debt for education/teaching of the gifted & talented graduates is $27,245. Early-career education/teaching of the gifted & talented graduates make about $59,654. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Elon University earned it the #4 place for education/teaching of the gifted & talented. Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elon. Students from in state pay about $46,958 in tuition and fees. Education/teaching Of The Gifted & Talented graduates carry a median of $21,619 in student loans. Soon after graduation, education/teaching of the gifted & talented degree recipients from Elon University generally make around $50,463. Set against $21,619 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 66%.
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
