North Carolina · Finance and Financial Management Services

Best colleges for Finance and Financial Management Services in North Carolina

Ranked by graduate earnings

Wake Forest University, Elon University and Campbell University are the top bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services programs in North Carolina by graduate earnings. Wake Forest University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $85,944, College Scorecard. University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Wake Forest University and Elon University award the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees in North Carolina: 380, 143 and 134 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 18 North Carolina colleges offer Finance and Financial Management Services and award 1,326 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Finance and Financial Management Services program prepares students for careers in the dynamic field of finance. This program is ideal for individuals interested in managing financial resources, analyzing investments, and providing…

Institutions
18
offering CIP 52.08
States & territories
52
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,326
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$51,628
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
10
College Scorecard
Median net price
$23,331
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
62%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Financial Managers
$196,240
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 9 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$85,94414389%$20,914$19,500
2Elon University
Elon Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$66,61413484%$33,688$19,500
3Campbell University
Buies Creek Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$60,4454461%$23,331$25,000
4Appalachian State University
Boone Public · Bachelor's degree
$52,00412075%—$21,267
5University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte Public · Bachelor's degree
$51,62838069%—$22,400
6East Carolina University
Greenville Public · Bachelor's degree
$51,50112163%—$23,142
7Wingate University
Wingate Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$46,5912046%$21,585$22,500
8Western Carolina University
Cullowhee Public · Bachelor's degree
$40,5757660%—$23,625
9University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro Public · Bachelor's degree
$40,4457556%—$24,000

Top certificate or associate program

Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh Public · Graduate degree
$107,3593385%—$21,937

Colleges awarding the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees in North Carolina

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte Public
380$51,628
2Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem Private not-for-profit
143$85,944
3Elon University
Elon Private not-for-profit
134$66,614
4East Carolina University
Greenville Public
121$51,501
5Appalachian State University
Boone Public
120$52,004
6High Point University
High Point Private not-for-profit
85Not reported
7Western Carolina University
Cullowhee Public
76$40,575
8University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro Public
75$40,445
9Campbell University
Buies Creek Private not-for-profit
44$60,445
10North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro Public
28Not reported
Show the other 8 North Carolina colleges offering Finance and Financial Management Services
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleighPublic33
Wingate UniversityWingatePrivate not-for-profit20
Lenoir-Rhyne UniversityHickoryPrivate not-for-profit19
Queens University of CharlotteCharlottePrivate not-for-profit13
Gardner-Webb UniversityBoiling SpringsPrivate not-for-profit11
Fayetteville State UniversityFayettevillePublic10
Belmont Abbey CollegeBelmontPrivate not-for-profit8
University of Mount OliveMount OlivePrivate not-for-profit6

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Financial Managers (SOC 11-3031).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+14.8%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~74,600
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$161,700
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringWriting

What Financial Managers earn in North Carolina

Jobs in North Carolina
22,460
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$196,240
median $166,780
Best-paying metro
$207,510
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Related careers

General and Operations Managers
$128,520 avg · 63,740 jobs
Financial Managers
$196,240 avg · 22,460 jobs
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
$96,990 avg · 21,890 jobs
Financial and Investment Analysts
$109,880 avg · 12,710 jobs
Personal Financial Advisors
$143,740 avg · 12,340 jobs
Loan Officers
$84,160 avg · 10,700 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Finance and Financial Management Services programs in North Carolina.

Which North Carolina colleges award the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees?+

University of North Carolina at Charlotte (380 graduates a year), Wake Forest University (143 graduates a year) and Elon University (134 graduates a year) award the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees in North Carolina, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 18 North Carolina colleges offer Finance and Financial Management Services.

What is the best college for Finance and Financial Management Services in North Carolina?+

By graduate earnings, Wake Forest University leads among bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services programs in North Carolina, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $85,944, College Scorecard. Elon University and Campbell University follow. By degrees awarded, University of North Carolina at Charlotte is the largest, with 380 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Finance and Financial Management Services program in North Carolina has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Wake Forest University tops the list at $85,944. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Financial Managers earn in North Carolina?+

The average annual wage for Financial Managers in North Carolina is $196,240 (median $166,780), across about 22,460 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Finance and Financial Management Services program?+

The Finance and Financial Management Services program prepares students for careers in the dynamic field of finance. This program is ideal for individuals interested in managing financial resources, analyzing investments, and providing…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, speaking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Financial Managers?+

The national job outlook is about +14.8% growth with around 74,600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Finance and Financial Management Services in other statesDistrict of ColumbiaDelawareCaliforniaArizonaVirginiaNew HampshireUtahVermont

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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