Winston-Salem, North Carolina Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina: median public in-state tuition $19,775 (+246.9% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $51,646 (-13.1% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 93.1% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $19,500 (+44.4% vs U.S.) 17,760 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Winston-Salem serve students across North Carolina with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 7 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 17,760 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $19,775. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Winston-Salem, North Carolina and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Winston-Salem vs North Carolina & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina | $19,775 | $14,797 | $19,500 | 39.4% | 17,760 |
| North Carolina (state median) | $2,630 | $6,250 | $19,500 | 50.0% | 421,744 |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Winston-Salem, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina | $51,646 | 93.1% | 72.4% | 5.8% | — | 67.0% | 0.43 |
| North Carolina (state median) | $52,995 | 92.8% | 73.1% | 6.8% | — | 64.8% | 0.43 |
| United States | $59,401 | 93.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.8% | 0.36 |
Other cities in North Carolina (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina | $19,775 | $14,797 | $19,500 | 39.4% | 17,760 | $51,646 | 93.1% |
| Raleigh | $17,690 | $22,902 | $15,222 | 48.6% | 52,098 | $51,143 | 92.9% |
| Charlotte | $20,498 | $25,854 | $19,500 | 48.3% | 44,804 | $61,111 | 92.9% |
| Greensboro | $18,484 | $17,194 | $22,660 | 42.3% | 31,003 | $50,279 | 92.5% |
| Wilmington | $5,019 | $16,961 | $9,500 | 71.6% | 24,818 | $61,019 | 92.9% |
| Wilmington | $5,019 | $16,961 | $9,500 | 71.6% | 24,818 | $61,019 | 92.9% |
| Chapel Hill | $9,095 | $14,602 | $9,210 | 91.1% | 20,950 | $81,094 | 93.8% |
| Greenville | $7,438 | $15,916 | $14,625 | 63.4% | 19,951 | $60,387 | 94.3% |
| Greenville | $7,438 | $15,916 | $14,625 | 63.4% | 19,951 | $60,387 | 94.3% |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 | $59,401 | 93.0% |
Outcomes by sector in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private nonprofit | 3 | $50,734 | 92.7% | 67.5% | 5.6% | — | 69.6% |
Top 2 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 90.3%, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 47.2%, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Top 2 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 94.4%, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 93.5%, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Top 2 most selective colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 21.7%, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 78.3%, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Top 4 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $116,242, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $77,296, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
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Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $44,466, Salem College
Salem College
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Rank 4, Entry-Level Earnings, $42,072, Carolina University
Carolina University
Top 4 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $146,608, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $94,298, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
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Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $68,431, Salem College
Salem College
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Rank 4, Early-Career Earnings, $56,995, Carolina University
Carolina University
Top 2 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $78,645, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,443, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Top 2 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $90,507, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $50,959, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Top 2 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $104,443, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $52,558, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Top 4 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $314,821, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $180,334, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $136,112, Salem College
Salem College
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $127,976, Carolina University
Carolina University
Top 4 most affordable colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $12,351, Carolina University
Carolina University
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Rank 2, Net Price, $12,817, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
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Rank 3, Net Price, $18,975, Salem College
Salem College
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Rank 4, Net Price, $28,165, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Top 2 colleges in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 92.6%, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 77.2%, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
In-state tuition: Winston-Salem, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Winston-Salem, North Carolina median in-state tuition is $19,775, +246.9% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Winston-Salem, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is $19,500 (+44.4% vs U.S. median $13,500). Regional median: $15,558.
Median earnings (10 years out): Winston-Salem, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Winston-Salem, North Carolina center around $51,646 (-13.1% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Winston-Salem, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 93.1% at the median Winston-Salem, North Carolina campus (+0.1 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Winston-Salem, North Carolina median public in-state tuition is $19,775, about +246.9% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +283.5%.
Median graduate debt is $19,500 (+44.4% above the U.S. median of $13,500). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Winston-Salem, North Carolina are $51,646, about -13.1% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,401).
The median campus reports 93.1% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 93.0% (+0.1 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 72.4% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 5.8% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 67.0% (U.S. 73.8%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Winston-Salem State University (94.4%), Wake Forest University (93.5%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Winston-Salem, North Carolina, sector medians diverge: Private nonprofit median 10-yr earnings $50,734 (3 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is 39.4% (national institution average about 49.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Winston-Salem?
This city profile covers 7 campuses in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Winston-Salem?
Median in-state tuition in Winston-Salem is $19,775 and median net price is $14,797. For North Carolina overall, medians are $2,630 and $6,250; U.S. medians are $5,700 and $9,912.
What do graduates earn in Winston-Salem?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Winston-Salem is $51,646 vs $52,995 for North Carolina and $59,401 nationally.
What is student debt like for Winston-Salem colleges?
Median completer debt in Winston-Salem is $19,500 vs $19,500 for North Carolina and $13,500 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Winston-Salem?
Top campuses on this page include Wake Forest University (graduation) and Wake Forest University (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Winston-Salem?
Among 7 campuses in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1 historically Black college or university (HBCU, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Winston-Salem State University; 1 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campus (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Non-Denominational (1).
Sources & related
- North Carolina college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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