2026 Best Value Athletic Training Schools in North Carolina

[Athletic Training](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/athletic-training/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for athletic training students.
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2026 Best Value Athletic Training Schools in North Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the athletic training degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Athletic Training Schools
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earned the #1 spot for value among athletic training schools in North Carolina. 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, while out-of-state students pay about $24,012. Students borrow a median of $24,977 to complete the athletic training program here. Soon after graduation, athletic training degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Greensboro generally make around $31,663. Set against $24,977 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Western Carolina University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value athletic training schools. Set in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,835 to complete the athletic training program here. Athletic Training graduates of Western Carolina University earn a median of $53,398 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,835 median debt. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earned it the #3 place for athletic training. Located in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, while out-of-state students pay about $22,492. Students borrow a median of $21,537 to complete the athletic training program here. Athletic Training graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $67,997 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,537 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earned it the #4 place for athletic training. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,277, with out-of-state students paying around $24,152. Athletic Training graduates carry a median of $23,013 in student loans. Athletic Training graduates of University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn a median of $46,164 early in their careers. Set against $23,013 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Methodist University earned it the #5 place for athletic training. Located in the city of Fayetteville, Methodist University is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,250. Students borrow a median of $27,604 to complete the athletic training program here. Early-career athletic training graduates make about $56,375. That is a strong return on a $27,604 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.