Best Computer Programmer programs in North Carolina, ranked by enrollment
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals.
27 schools in North Carolina run programs that feed this job, graduating 4,060 people a year. The job pays a median of $81,070 in North Carolina across about 4,120 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in North Carolina that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
10 programs in North Carolina that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in North Carolina (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own North Carolina page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0701In North Carolina → | 3,741 | 92.1% | 24 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | CIP 52.1201In North Carolina → | 209 | 5.1% | 5 | $59,352 | $24,618 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0803In North Carolina → | 55 | 1.4% | 2 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 4 | CIP 30.7101In North Carolina → | 26 | 0.6% | 4 | — | — |
| 5 | CIP 15.1204In North Carolina → | 8 | 0.2% | 1 | $48,829 | $21,696 |
| 6 | Computer Game Programmingmain feeder CIP 11.0204In North Carolina → | 7 | 0.2% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 7 | CIP 30.3001In North Carolina → | 7 | 0.2% | 2 | $50,745 | $27,000 |
| 8 | CIP 30.7199In North Carolina → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | — | — |
| 9 | CIP 11.0902In North Carolina → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 10 | CIP 51.0709In North Carolina → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $30,774 | $17,375 |
Top 25 schools in North Carolina
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 15 of the 27 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 1,213 | Computer Science | $67,704 | 69% | — | 80% |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 885 | Computer Science | $85,809 | 85% | — | 42% |
| 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 420 | Computer Science | $90,293 | 91% | — | 15% |
| 4 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 323 | Computer Science | $133,356 | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 5 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 241 | Computer Science | $68,675 | 75% | — | 90% |
| 6 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC Public · 4 feeder programs | 176 | Computer Science | $65,958 | 63% | — | 89% |
| 7 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 165 | Computer Science | $81,174 | 57% | — | 50% |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 153 | Computer Science | $67,781 | 56% | — | 89% |
| 9 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 116 | Computer Science | $66,977 | 71% | — | 64% |
| 10 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 59 | Computer Science | $28,892 | 60% | — | 82% |
| 11 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 52 | Computer Science | $75,625 | 89% | $20,914 | 22% |
| 12 | Elon University Elon, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 43 | Computer Science | — | 84% | $33,688 | 66% |
| 13 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 43 | Computer Science | $50,940 | 38% | — | 82% |
| 14 | Davidson College Davidson, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 35 | Computer Science | — | 91% | $16,628 | 13% |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Computer Science | $38,417 | 44% | — | 93% |
| 16 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Computer Science | $48,076 | 54% | — | 92% |
| 17 | High Point University High Point, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Computer Science | — | 74% | $37,072 | 75% |
| 18 | Meredith College Raleigh, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Computer Science | — | 70% | $19,552 | 74% |
| 19 | Catawba College Salisbury, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Management Information Systems, General | — | 47% | $17,916 | 75% |
| 20 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Computer Science | — | 44% | — | 64% |
| 21 | Gardner - Webb University Boiling Springs, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Computer Science | — | 55% | $22,863 | 77% |
| 22 | Shaw University Raleigh, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Computer Science | — | 22% | $16,542 | 80% |
| 23 | Winston - Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Computer Science | $50,927 | 47% | — | 78% |
| 24 | University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Computer Science | — | 52% | $16,473 | 76% |
| 25 | Methodist University Fayetteville, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Computer Science | — | 44% | $24,551 | 75% |
All 27 schools in North Carolina
Every school in North Carolina with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public | 1,213 | 1 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | Public | 885 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public | 420 | 1 |
| Duke University | Durham | Private not-for-profit | 323 | 3 |
| Appalachian State University | Boone | Public | 241 | 2 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville | Public | 176 | 4 |
| North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | Public | 165 | 3 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public | 153 | 3 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | Public | 116 | 2 |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public | 59 | 2 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private not-for-profit | 52 | 1 |
| Elon University | Elon | Private not-for-profit | 43 | 2 |
| Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville | Public | 43 | 2 |
| Davidson College | Davidson | Private not-for-profit | 35 | 1 |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke | Public | 26 | 1 |
What computer programmers earn in North Carolina
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $100,390. North Carolina pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: North Carolina employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in North Carolina
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer Programmers page.
How to become a Computer Programmer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in North Carolina
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 17 majors mapped to Computer Programmers17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 11.0203Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
- 11.0204Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.0299Computer Programming, Other
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0803Computer Graphics
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
- 30.3001Computational Science
- 30.7101Data Analytics, General
- 30.7103Data Visualization
- 30.7199Data Analytics, Other
- 51.0709Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant
- 52.1201Management Information Systems, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing computer programmers programs in North Carolina.
What degree do you need to become a Computer Programmer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Science, which awarded 3,741 degrees in North Carolina in 2024-25, 92.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Programmer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Management Information Systems and Services, Computer Software and Media Applications, Data Analytics, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 4,060 people a year in North Carolina.
How much do computer programmers earn in North Carolina?+
The median is $81,070 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 19.2% below the U.S. median of $100,390. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for computer programmers growing?+
BLS projects a -6.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 5,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in North Carolina?+
27 institutions in North Carolina reported graduates from at least one of the 10 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do computer programmers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Programmer Analyst, Computer Programmer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1251.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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