Business Administration, Management and Operations at North Carolina A & T State University

North Carolina A&T's business program serves its primarily first-generation student body (51% receive Pell grants) with solid results: graduates start at $45,114 and see steady growth to $53,238 by year four. More importantly, students here graduate with below-average debt—ranking in just the 19th percentile nationally—which translates to a manageable 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's a meaningful advantage when half your classmates are carrying Pell grants.

The program ranks in the 60th percentile among North Carolina business schools, outperforming the state median by nearly $2,000 annually. You're not getting UNC-Chapel Hill outcomes, but you're also not paying UNC prices while accumulating debt. The 18% earnings growth from year one to year four suggests graduates are building careers, not just finding jobs. For families weighing affordability against outcomes, the lower debt load here matters more than the difference between $45,000 and $48,000 in starting salary.

This is a practical choice for North Carolina families, particularly those for whom minimizing debt is essential. Graduates leave with reasonable earnings and room to grow without being crushed by loan payments—exactly what a historically Black university serving working-class students should deliver.