North Carolina
Student Access & Success
North Carolina’s four-year institutions receive a good grade in this area, ranking above the national medians in retention rate, completion rate, and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. North Carolina’s two- year institutions receive an average grade, brought down in particular by a low credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates score.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
North Carolina receives a very low grade for four-year institutions, with a cost per completion ($83,224) and state and local funding per completion ($65,107) that rank in the bottom 10 states. North Carolina’s two-year institutions also fare poorly, with a cost per completion ($62,533) and state and local funding per completion ($47,050), both well above the national medians of $57,210 and $35,476, respectively.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a North Carolina bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $18,500 (or 63%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is almost 5.5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $8,500 (or 29%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 4 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
North Carolina receives average grades with a good score for its consumer information and public accountability resources. The state does not measure student learning outcomes, but the North Carolina Education and Training Consumer Guide provides employment and earnings information for graduates of the University of North Carolina (UNC) and North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) via a searchable portal.
Policy Environment
The UNC and NCCCS’ “SuccessNC” plan has targeted goals for student outcomes for both systems. While the UNC system does not have outcomes-based funding, the NCCCS does have a small incentive-funding program. The state’s articulation agreement allows students to transfer individual courses.
Innovation
Both the UNC and NCCCS systems have robust online learning efforts that provide information on degree programs and individual courses. UNC-Online provides students with access to “e-mentors.” Regarding new providers, North Carolina has one of the most restrictive regulatory environments in the country, featuring high licensure fees and a burdensome approval process.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
NC Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 32.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 81.9 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 58.9 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 19.6 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | F |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $83,224 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $65,107 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $91,303 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 1 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $18,524 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 162.8 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $14,000 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 156.0 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 5.4 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 8.2 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | C |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
NC Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 56.4 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 60.6 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 20.0 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 13.4 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $62,533 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $47,050 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $54,157 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $8,524 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 128.9 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $7,000 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 128.0 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.6 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.2 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.94 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | C |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
NC Nat'l| Policy Environment | C |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 46% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 47% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 40% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | B |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 71.4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 5 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 16
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 59
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 168156
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 212211