Best Online Master’s Programs in North Carolina 2023

Published: May 11, 2022
Updated: Sep 8, 2023

Find the best online colleges in North Carolina ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs. Faculty and alumni with influential ideas are the foundation of respectable online degree programs employers can trust.

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in North Carolina

Duke University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
North Carolina State University
Wake Forest University
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
East Carolina University
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Campbell University
Appalachian State University
Meredith College

East Carolina University 94%
University of North Carolina at Pembroke 92%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro 91%
Salem College 90%
Montreat College 90%
Campbell University 87%
Lenoir–Rhyne University 86%
Appalachian State University 85%
University of Mount Olive 83%
Fayetteville State University 82%

University of North Carolina at Charlotte 20 to 1
East Carolina University 19 to 1
Western Carolina University 17 to 1
Fayetteville State University 17 to 1
University of North Carolina Wilmington 17 to 1
Winston-Salem State University 16 to 1
University of North Carolina at Greensboro 16 to 1
Appalachian State University 16 to 1
University of Mount Olive 16 to 1
Salem College 15 to 1

Duke University $60,244
Wake Forest University $59,770
Lenoir–Rhyne University $41,500
Meredith College $41,224
Queens University of Charlotte $38,726
Campbell University $38,160
Methodist University $36,960
North Carolina Wesleyan University $33,371
Pfeiffer University $32,480
Gardner–Webb University $32,200

Duke University $57,900
Wake Forest University $38,650
Methodist University $38,428
University of Mount Olive $18,000
North Carolina Wesleyan University $17,335
Campbell University $14,041
Queens University of Charlotte $13,552
Meredith College $13,194
Pfeiffer University $12,240
Lenoir–Rhyne University $12,060

North Carolina Wesleyan University
Lees–McRae College
Lenoir–Rhyne University
Pfeiffer University
University of Mount Olive
Gardner–Webb University
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Fayetteville State University
Montreat College
University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Duke University 6%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 20%
Wake Forest University 25%
North Carolina Wesleyan University 28%
North Carolina State University 47%
Lees–McRae College 59%
University of North Carolina Wilmington 68%
Queens University of Charlotte 69%
Meredith College 70%
Pfeiffer University 72%

Duke University 6 to 1
Montreat College 8 to 1
Queens University of Charlotte 10 to 1
Methodist University 10 to 1
Pfeiffer University 10 to 1
Wake Forest University 11 to 1
Lees–McRae College 11 to 1
Meredith College 11 to 1
Lenoir–Rhyne University 13 to 1
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 13 to 1

Western Carolina University $1,000
University of North Carolina at Pembroke $1,000
Fayetteville State University $2,982
Winston-Salem State University $3,401
University of North Carolina at Charlotte $3,812
Appalachian State University $4,242
University of North Carolina at Greensboro $4,422
University of North Carolina Wilmington $4,443
East Carolina University $4,452
North Carolina State University $6,535

Fayetteville State University $3,438
Winston-Salem State University $3,872
University of North Carolina at Pembroke $4,280
University of North Carolina at Charlotte $4,337
Western Carolina University $4,435
University of North Carolina Wilmington $4,719
East Carolina University $4,749
Appalachian State University $4,839
University of North Carolina at Greensboro $5,219
Salem College $8,100

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in North Carolina

Among these schools are over 60 public colleges and universities, including the state’s largest school, North Carolina State University, which serves almost 30,000 students. Tuition costs average about $9,000, just below the national average, and students also have the option to enroll in over 1,000 online courses. Another notable public school is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is one of the country’s oldest universities.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

The 25,000 students who attend UNC will walk the same halls as Francis Collins, Thomas Wolfe, and former president James K. Polk. North Carolina’s private schools have also made a name for themselves, including the well-known Duke University located in Durham. Here, students can earn degrees in some of the top programs, like nursing, political science, and business. Additionally, students can attend one of the many small schools which serve less than 5,000 students, like Campbell University in Buies Creek, or a religiously affiliated school, like Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City.

From its coastal beaches to its lush forests, it’s no wonder the Wright Brothers dreamed of taking flight over North Carolina. This state is rich with history, scenic views, and famous people who once called it home, like John Coltrane and Nicholas Sparks. Students hoping to earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree also have the option of choosing from over 100 schools in the Tar Heel State.

Whether you prefer ocean views or wooded forests, North Carolina has something for everyone. Discover more about the state’s higher learning options.

What are North Carolina’s Colleges & Universities?

North Carolina’s Best Overall

Online master’s degrees offered by respected colleges and universities are generally respected by employers. The main thing to consider about your online master’s choices is whether the school name is well known and respected. In many cases, employers won’t know your degree was earned online. But even if they do, a degree from a respected college is automatically to your benefit.

We rank the colleges and universities in this list by the influence of their alumni and faculty. For master’s degree students, including online master’s degree students, having faculty who are influential in your field matters a lot. It’s a big indicator that you have the chance to get a quality education. And, knowing that you will join an alumni association with some impressive people is nice, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s Degrees

An online master’s degree costs about $40,000 for the average grad student. However, the cost of your online master’s degree will depend on the type of grad school you attend. In 2018-2019, the average cost for a year of tuition in a public grad school was $12,171. The average cost for a year of tuition in private, non-profit grad school was $27,776. An online master’s degree will usually cost about the same as a traditional master’s degree. Some schools will charge 5-10% more for online courses. This added cost pays for the technology and specialized training needed for online instruction. But getting a master’s degree online can also help you save money. The costs above don’t include expenses like housing, transportation, or certain campus fees. As an online grad student, you can save a lot of money by avoiding these added expenses. Many online master’s degree programs are also accelerated. Most master’s degree programs are designed to be completed in two years. But you may be able to earn your online master’s degree in as little as 12-18 months. Earning an accelerated online master’s degree can save you money on tuition.

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

How do we determine North Carolina's best online Master's degree programs?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Median Salaries of Top Careers in North Carolina

The following graph depicts the average salaries of top occupations in different industries in North Carolina.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

118960Computer Hardware Engineers

120650Financial Risk Specialists

129350Actuaries

134660Physicists

262660Chief Executives

Best Online Master’s Programs in North Carolina 2023

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in North Carolina

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in North Carolina

What are North Carolina’s Colleges & Universities?

Median Salaries of Top Careers in North Carolina

Best Online Master’s Program in North Carolina 2022

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North Carolina’s Best Grad Programs in Your Area Interest