Best Colleges in North Carolina

74
Universities
67
Community Colleges
141
Total Institutions

Explore 141 colleges and universities in North Carolina, ranked by the Repit College Score. Our ratings evaluate graduation rates, affordability, resources, and student experience.

#1
A

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • 32,234 students
Public
92%
Grad Rate
$11k
Net Price
#2
A

Duke University

Durham, NC • 17,112 students
Private Non-Profit
96%
Grad Rate
#3
B+

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC • 37,323 students
Public
85%
Grad Rate
$15k
Net Price
#4
B+

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC • 9,121 students
Private Non-Profit
91%
Grad Rate
#5
B+

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston Salem, NC • 1,074 students
Public
79%
Grad Rate
$11k
Net Price
#6
B+

Davidson College

Davidson, NC • 1,904 students
Private Non-Profit
92%
Grad Rate
#7
B

Elon University

Elon, NC • 7,207 students
Private Non-Profit
83%
Grad Rate
#8
B

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC • 13,885 students
Public
55%
Grad Rate
$10k
Net Price
#9
B

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • 30,298 students
Public
68%
Grad Rate
$14k
Net Price
6%
Off-Campus
#10
B

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, NC • 17,987 students
Public
71%
Grad Rate
$19k
Net Price
#11
B

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC • 21,253 students
Public
73%
Grad Rate
$15k
Net Price
#12
C+

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC • 17,743 students
Public
58%
Grad Rate
$11k
Net Price
6%
Off-Campus
#13
C+

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • 11,628 students
Public
59%
Grad Rate
$12k
Net Price
#14
C+

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC • 26,785 students
Public
62%
Grad Rate
$14k
Net Price
#15
C+

University of North Carolina Asheville

Asheville, NC • 2,925 students
Public
55%
Grad Rate
$14k
Net Price
#16
C+

Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College

Wendell, NC • 74 students
Private Non-Profit
55%
Grad Rate
#17
C+

High Point University

High Point, NC • 6,052 students
Private Non-Profit
70%
Grad Rate
#18
C+

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC • 7,630 students
Public
45%
Grad Rate
$10k
Net Price
10%
Off-Campus
#19
C+

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, NC • 2,165 students
Public
48%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
6%
Off-Campus
#20
C+

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC • 7,965 students
Public
46%
Grad Rate
$14k
Net Price
#21
C+

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Wake Forest, NC • 2,926 students
Private Non-Profit
46%
Grad Rate
#22
C+

Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem, NC • 4,776 students
Public
49%
Grad Rate
$13k
Net Price
#23
C+

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, NC • 6,847 students
Public
35%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
11%
Off-Campus
#24
C+

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC • 1,576 students
Private Non-Profit
65%
Grad Rate
#25
C+

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • 1,846 students
Private Non-Profit
66%
Grad Rate
#26
C+

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, NC • 1,102 students
Private Non-Profit
34%
Grad Rate
#27
C+

Carolinas College of Health Sciences

Charlotte, NC • 410 students
Public
100%
Grad Rate
#28
C+

Shaw University

Raleigh, NC • 962 students
Private Non-Profit
20%
Grad Rate
#29
C+

Bennett College

Greensboro, NC • 195 students
Private Non-Profit
21%
Grad Rate
#30
C

Brevard College

Brevard, NC • 787 students
Private Non-Profit
39%
Grad Rate
#31
C

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC • 5,115 students
Private Non-Profit
56%
Grad Rate
#32
C

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC • 3,125 students
Private Non-Profit
62%
Grad Rate
#33
C

Catawba College

Salisbury, NC • 1,241 students
Private Non-Profit
52%
Grad Rate
#34
C

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory, NC • 2,230 students
Private Non-Profit
51%
Grad Rate
#35
C

Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • 1,128 students
Private Non-Profit
52%
Grad Rate
#36
C

Belmont Abbey College

Belmont, NC • 1,650 students
Private Non-Profit
46%
Grad Rate
#37
C

Watts College of Nursing

Durham, NC • 134 students
Private Non-Profit
#38
C

Carolina University

Winston-Salem, NC • 893 students
Private Non-Profit
29%
Grad Rate
#39
C

Guilford College

Greensboro, NC • 1,208 students
Private Non-Profit
48%
Grad Rate
#40
C

Heritage Bible College

Dunn, NC • 33 students
Private Non-Profit
40%
Grad Rate
#41
C

Livingstone College

Salisbury, NC • 814 students
Private Non-Profit
27%
Grad Rate
#42
C

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC • 1,049 students
Private Non-Profit
42%
Grad Rate
#43
C

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC • 1,768 students
Private Non-Profit
40%
Grad Rate
#44
C

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC • 2,128 students
Private Non-Profit
47%
Grad Rate
#45
C

Mid-Atlantic Christian University

Elizabeth City, NC • 177 students
Private Non-Profit
43%
Grad Rate
#46
C

Salem College

Winston-Salem, NC • 519 students
Private Non-Profit
56%
Grad Rate
#47
C

Warren Wilson College

Swannanoa, NC • 797 students
Private Non-Profit
43%
Grad Rate
#48
C

Wingate University

Wingate, NC • 3,322 students
Private Non-Profit
47%
Grad Rate
#49
C

Greensboro College

Greensboro, NC • 898 students
Private Non-Profit
41%
Grad Rate
#50
C

North Carolina Wesleyan University

Rocky Mount, NC • 1,345 students
Private Non-Profit
40%
Grad Rate
#51
C

Saint Augustine's University

Raleigh, NC • 943 students
Private Non-Profit
33%
Grad Rate
#52
C

Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine

Sugar Grove, NC • 77 students
Private Non-Profit
#53
C

Montreat College

Montreat, NC • 932 students
Private Non-Profit
41%
Grad Rate
#54
C

Manna University

Fayetteville, NC • 230 students
Private Non-Profit
69%
Grad Rate
#55
C

Hood Theological Seminary

Salisbury, NC • 132 students
Private Non-Profit
#56
C

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

Concord, NC • 753 students
Private Non-Profit
45%
Grad Rate
#57
C

Barton College

Wilson, NC • 1,259 students
Private Non-Profit
52%
Grad Rate
#58
D

Lees-McRae College

Banner Elk, NC • 839 students
Private Non-Profit
44%
Grad Rate
#59
D

Chowan University

Murfreesboro, NC • 708 students
Private Non-Profit
29%
Grad Rate
#60
D

University of North Carolina System

Raleigh, NC
Public
#61
D

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC • 730 students
Private Non-Profit
44%
Grad Rate
#62
D

St. Andrews University

Laurinburg, NC • 832 students
Private Non-Profit
27%
Grad Rate
#63
D

Carolina College of Biblical Studies

Fayetteville, NC • 173 students
Private Non-Profit
22%
Grad Rate
#64
D

Shepherds Theological Seminary

Cary, NC • 192 students
Private Non-Profit
#65
D

Pfeiffer University

Misenheimer, NC • 954 students
Private Non-Profit
43%
Grad Rate
#66
D

Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts

Asheville, NC • 91 students
Private For-Profit
#67
D

DeVry University-North Carolina

Charlotte, NC • 15 students
Private For-Profit
#68
D

Miller-Motte College-Wilmington

Wilmington, NC • 152 students
Private For-Profit
19%
Grad Rate
#69
D

Carolina Christian College

Winston Salem, NC • 74 students
Private Non-Profit
0%
Grad Rate
#70
D

Galen Health Institutes-Asheville

Asheville, NC • 183 students
Private For-Profit
#71
D

Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary

Charlotte, NC • 82 students
Private Non-Profit
0%
Grad Rate
#72
D

South University-High Point

High Point, NC • 70 students
Private For-Profit
0%
Grad Rate
#73
F

Chamberlain University-North Carolina

Charlotte, NC • 216 students
Private For-Profit
0%
Grad Rate
#74
F

Strayer University-North Carolina

Greensboro, NC • 3,112 students
Private For-Profit
17%
Grad Rate
#1
C+

Stanly Community College

Albemarle, NC • 2,527 students
Public
72%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#2
C+

Wilkes Community College

Wilkesboro, NC • 2,405 students
Public
52%
Grad Rate
$3k
Net Price
#3
C+

Montgomery Community College

Troy, NC • 1,085 students
Public
54%
Grad Rate
$9k
Net Price
#4
C+

Southwestern Community College

Sylva, NC • 2,109 students
Public
54%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#5
C+

Wayne Community College

Goldsboro, NC • 2,883 students
Public
57%
Grad Rate
$4k
Net Price
#6
C+

Central Carolina Community College

Sanford, NC • 5,574 students
Public
41%
Grad Rate
$2k
Net Price
#7
C+

Edgecombe Community College

Tarboro, NC • 1,036 students
Public
58%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#8
C+

McDowell Technical Community College

Marion, NC • 1,203 students
Public
57%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#9
C+

Randolph Community College

Asheboro, NC • 2,648 students
Public
54%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#10
C+

Richmond Community College

Hamlet, NC • 2,411 students
Public
41%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#11
C+

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC • 14,119 students
Public
34%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#12
C+

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC • 8,716 students
Public
28%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#13
C+

Gaston College

Dallas, NC • 5,871 students
Public
51%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#14
C+

Southeastern Community College

Whiteville, NC • 1,397 students
Public
51%
Grad Rate
$6k
Net Price
#15
C+

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC • 18,446 students
Public
26%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#16
C

Haywood Community College

Clyde, NC • 1,260 students
Public
44%
Grad Rate
$4k
Net Price
#17
C

Isothermal Community College

Spindale, NC • 1,810 students
Public
49%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#18
C

Piedmont Community College

Roxboro, NC • 1,250 students
Public
42%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#19
C

Sampson Community College

Clinton, NC • 1,680 students
Public
52%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#20
C

Sandhills Community College

Pinehurst, NC • 3,824 students
Public
48%
Grad Rate
$11k
Net Price
#21
C

Vance-Granville Community College

Henderson, NC • 2,841 students
Public
47%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#22
C

Wilson Community College

Wilson, NC • 1,751 students
Public
36%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#23
C

Beaufort County Community College

Washington, NC • 1,785 students
Public
36%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#24
C

Craven Community College

New Bern, NC • 2,851 students
Public
46%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#25
C

Davidson-Davie Community College

Thomasville, NC • 3,959 students
Public
42%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#26
C

Durham Technical Community College

Durham, NC • 4,354 students
Public
36%
Grad Rate
$4k
Net Price
#27
C

Halifax Community College

Weldon, NC • 1,013 students
Public
41%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#28
C

James Sprunt Community College

Kenansville, NC • 1,376 students
Public
39%
Grad Rate
$4k
Net Price
#29
C

Lenoir Community College

Kinston, NC • 2,387 students
Public
28%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#30
C

Nash Community College

Rocky Mount, NC • 2,425 students
Public
52%
Grad Rate
$6k
Net Price
#31
C

Pamlico Community College

Grantsboro, NC • 379 students
Public
47%
Grad Rate
$9k
Net Price
#32
C

Pitt Community College

Winterville, NC • 7,371 students
Public
28%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#33
C

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Salisbury, NC • 6,862 students
Public
30%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#34
C

Tri-County Community College

Murphy, NC • 969 students
Public
54%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#35
C

Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh, NC • 22,763 students
Public
31%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#36
C

Western Piedmont Community College

Morganton, NC • 1,791 students
Public
36%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#37
C

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Asheville, NC • 6,297 students
Public
32%
Grad Rate
$13k
Net Price
#38
C

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

Hudson, NC • 3,764 students
Public
40%
Grad Rate
$7k
Net Price
#39
C

Coastal Carolina Community College

Jacksonville, NC • 3,457 students
Public
42%
Grad Rate
$9k
Net Price
#40
C

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, NC • 10,877 students
Public
21%
Grad Rate
$4k
Net Price
#41
C

Guilford Technical Community College

Jamestown, NC • 10,443 students
Public
31%
Grad Rate
$13k
Net Price
#42
C

College of the Albemarle

Elizabeth City, NC • 2,582 students
Public
39%
Grad Rate
$6k
Net Price
#43
C

Carteret Community College

Morehead City, NC • 1,579 students
Public
42%
Grad Rate
$14k
Net Price
#44
C

Louisburg College

Louisburg, NC • 413 students
Private Non-Profit
39%
Grad Rate
#45
C

Mayland Community College

Spruce Pine, NC • 863 students
Public
49%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#46
C

Blue Ridge Community College

Flat Rock, NC • 2,822 students
Public
38%
Grad Rate
$9k
Net Price
#47
C

Brunswick Community College

Bolivia, NC • 1,845 students
Public
46%
Grad Rate
$10k
Net Price
#48
C

Catawba Valley Community College

Hickory, NC • 4,413 students
Public
36%
Grad Rate
$10k
Net Price
#49
C

Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville

Jacksonville, NC • 187 students
Private For-Profit
59%
Grad Rate
#50
C

Johnston Community College

Smithfield, NC • 4,680 students
Public
29%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#51
C

Martin Community College

Williamston, NC • 819 students
Public
38%
Grad Rate
$4k
Net Price
#52
C

Rockingham Community College

Wentworth, NC • 1,777 students
Public
28%
Grad Rate
$4k
Net Price
#53
C

Surry Community College

Dobson, NC • 2,758 students
Public
8%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#54
C

Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville

Fayetteville, NC • 169 students
Private For-Profit
62%
Grad Rate
#55
C

South Piedmont Community College

Polkton, NC • 3,548 students
Public
35%
Grad Rate
$5k
Net Price
#56
C

Bladen Community College

Dublin, NC • 990 students
Public
31%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#57
C

Mitchell Community College

Statesville, NC • 3,617 students
Public
16%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#58
C

Roanoke-Chowan Community College

Ahoskie, NC • 591 students
Public
21%
Grad Rate
$8k
Net Price
#59
C

Robeson Community College

Lumberton, NC • 1,989 students
Public
30%
Grad Rate
$6k
Net Price
#60
C

Alamance Community College

Graham, NC • 3,739 students
Public
30%
Grad Rate
$19k
Net Price
#61
C

Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • 212 students
Private For-Profit
50%
Grad Rate
#62
C

Miller-Motte College-Raleigh

Raleigh, NC • 214 students
Private For-Profit
59%
Grad Rate
#63
C

Southeastern College-Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • 217 students
Private For-Profit
60%
Grad Rate
#64
C

Cleveland Community College

Shelby, NC • 1,890 students
Public
11%
Grad Rate
$0k
Net Price
#65
D

Health And Style Institute

Greensboro, NC • 1,112 students
Private For-Profit
29%
Grad Rate
#66
D

NASCAR Technical Institute

Mooresville, NC • 1,306 students
Private For-Profit
56%
Grad Rate
#67
D

MyComputerCareer at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC • 1,617 students
Private For-Profit
70%
Grad Rate

Cities with Multiple Colleges

Durham 4 colleges
Winston Salem 2 colleges
Winston-Salem 5 colleges
Wilmington 3 colleges
Elizabeth City 3 colleges
Raleigh 9 colleges
Jacksonville 2 colleges
Greensboro 7 colleges
Hickory 2 colleges
Rocky Mount 2 colleges
Salisbury 4 colleges
Wilson 2 colleges
Charlotte 11 colleges
Fayetteville 6 colleges
Asheville 4 colleges
High Point 2 colleges

About College Rankings in North Carolina

The Repit College Score ranks 141 colleges and universities in North Carolina based on outcomes (graduation rates, retention), affordability (net cost, financial aid), resources (class sizes, faculty ratios), and student experience (campus life, housing options).

4-Year Universities (74): Bachelor's degree-granting institutions including public universities, private colleges, and research institutions.

2-Year Colleges (67): Community colleges and technical schools offering associate degrees, certificates, and transfer programs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colleges in North Carolina

How many colleges are in North Carolina?

There are 141 accredited colleges and universities in North Carolina tracked by Repit, including 74 4-year institutions and 67 community colleges. Each school is rated using our proprietary scoring system that evaluates outcomes, affordability, and resources.

How does Repit rate colleges?

Repit rates colleges on a 100-point scale across five categories: Outcomes (graduation and retention rates), Affordability (net cost and financial aid), Resources (class sizes and selectivity), Experience (campus life and learning format), and Prestige (reputation and recognition). Each factor is weighted and combined into an overall score and letter grade.

Should I attend a public or private college in North Carolina?

North Carolina has both public and private institutions. Public schools often offer lower tuition for state residents, while private schools may provide more financial aid. Compare net prices and outcomes using Repit's detailed college profiles to find the best value for your situation.

Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: September 2026 | Methodology