HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill vs North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University clears +$2.22M in 30-year net value, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill +$1.59M — both pay off, North Carolina State University by +$632K.

Two North Carolina public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC

30-year net value
+$1.59M
Total cost of attendance
$88,020
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$56,852
Breaks even by age
41

North Carolina State University · Raleigh, NC

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.22M
Total cost of attendance
$90,456
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$63,763
Breaks even by age
35
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill vs North Carolina State University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/unc-vs-nc-state

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Questions

Is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or North Carolina State University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, North Carolina State University clears +$2.22M and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill +$1.59M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; North Carolina State University comes out ahead by +$632K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does North Carolina State University pay off than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
About +$632K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.22M vs +$1.59M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
+$1.59M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $88,020, median earnings ten years out $56,852, breaking even around age 41. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.