How do Duke, UNC, and NC State Stack Up for Salaries?
A look at which majors at North Carolina’s “Research Triangle” give students the best shot at a competitive salary after graduating.
Written By: Shadi Bushra Published: February 16, 2022
Key Insights:
- Duke beats UNC and NC State in overall Salary Score, and for high-paying fields such as Computer Science and Engineering
- NC State has a slightly stronger overall Salary Score than UNC-Chapel Hill, despite UNC鈥檚 stronger academic reputation in other rankings.
- NC State offers competitive salaries for Forestry, Teaching, and Criminology, while UNC excels in Business, Mathematics and Communications.
The 鈥淩esearch Triangle鈥� of North Carolina is anchored by three major universities that have attracted top academic and corporate talent to the rapidly growing area. Those schools, Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University, have a rich history of rivalry, in sports, culture, and academics.
The vibrancy of the Research Triangle, which includes the state capital of Raleigh, is itself a strong draw, leading many students to apply to all three schools. When deciding where to attend, prospective students weigh many factors. But arguably two of the most important factors are tuition and expected salary, particularly by field of study. For many majors, there is a notable boost in future earnings for grads who pay for elite education. But in other fields, public schools offer similar salary outlooks, without the heavy price tag.
To get an unbiased look at how college's graduate earnings by major compare to other schools nationally, we have created Salary Score. We give each program that a school offers an individual Salary Score by comparing the median starting salary of graduates to other graduates from the same program nationally. A score above 50 suggests above-average salaries compared to their program peers from other schools, while a Salary Score below 50 shows an expected salary that is below the national average. These program-level Salary Scores are then used to determine a school鈥檚 overall Salary Score to indicate their strength across all programs.
Using this method, we can see that all three of the Research Triangle schools rank in the top five universities in the state based on Salary Score. Digging into the details of these Salary Scores and the programs behind them will help paint a better picture of which schools offer the best outcomes for which programs.
A High Level Look: Salary Scores for Duke, UNC, and NC State
Looking at the three schools' Salary Scores across all of the programs that they offer, Duke beats out both UNC and NC State by over 30 points. This means that compared to other schools nationally, Duke is in the top percentile of schools and is nationwide, UNC is the best choice, not only over Duke, but over many other universities. NC State also offers a strong Business Administration program, with a Salary Score of 82, but the median salary lags behind UNC by almost $25,000. The school is also strong for other business-related majors, including Communication and Media Studies and Economics.
North Carolina State’s Top Programs by Salary Score
| Program | Salary Score | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry | 100 | $62,010 |
| Health and Physical Education/ Fitness | 97 | $39,300 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 87 | $42,360 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 86 | $43,800 |
| Criminology | 86 | $40,230 |
North Carolina State’s highest Salary Score is in the Forestry program, which neither Duke nor UNC offer. Criminology, another major unique to NC State, is also a program with a track record of helping alumni earn competitive salaries.
In addition to Health and Physical Education, it also has a strong Teacher Education program, with a Salary Score of 83.
With 15 majors earning Salary Scores of 75 and above, NC State offers a large number and diverse array of majors with above-average earning potential. It is particularly attractive to those pursuing fields they may not find at other schools.
When Does Duke’s Elite Education Really Pay Off in Terms of Salary?
As we could see from the beginning, Duke is the superior school in terms of Salary Scores, both overall and in most programs we could compare head-to-head. The only outlier was Biology, where Duke’s Salary Score of 11 fell far short of its competition. But for the other programs it offers, Duke graduates can expect higher-than-average salaries down the line. Duke degrees appear to be particularly “worth it” in Computer Science/Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and many of the popular social sciences such as Psychology, Sociology, History, and English.
The only real challenge to Duke’s dominance in overall Salary Scores comes on the Master’s degree front. There, UNC Chapel Hill’s Tar Heels are right on Duke’s heels, with a masters Salary Score of 84 at UNC just behind Duke’s 87.
In terms of bachelors degrees, though, UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State have some way to go to reach Duke’s overall Salary Score. However, there are certain programs that UNC and NC State excel in. At UNC, these include the Business, Communications, and Mathematics. Meanwhile NC State’s comparative advantage lies in majors such as Forestry, Teaching, and Criminology.
Students that know where they want college to take them will be able to take a look at the data, and make a decision that will best position themselves for post-college life, regardless of which of these three schools they choose.