University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill vs Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

On the numbers, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus comes out ahead: 97/100 to 94/100, a 3-point edge over University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That gap comes from real differences in what each one costs, what its graduates earn, and the debt they leave with.

Start with what you'd actually pay. After aid, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill runs $11,655 a year against $12,116 at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus - $461 more a year, or about $1,844 across four years.

Then look at what that buys. Ten years after enrollment, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus graduates earn a median $102,772 against $72,200 at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The cost earns itself back in 5 years at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and 2.8 years at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus.

Finally, the debt you'd carry out. Graduates leave University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill owing a median $14,000 versus $21,672 at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus. Their debt-to-earnings ratios are 0.28 and 0.33 - and the rule of thumb is to keep that under 1.0, meaning debt no bigger than a first year's pay.