Best North Carolina Colleges
There are 125 colleges and universities in North Carolina enrolling 577,114 students. Explore the list of top colleges in North Carolina below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in North Carolina offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.
North Carolina is home to nationally ranked institutions like Duke University, Davidson College, Wake Forest University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The highest ranked college in North Carolina is Duke University and the top rated public state college is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Local college options can be explored in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem or other cities.
List of the Best North Carolina Colleges
Gardner Webb University
- Private 4 Year
- Boiling Springs, NC
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
Gardner-Webb is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus sits in the small town of Boiling Springs in western North Carolina.
- SAT Range 975-1198
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $20,016
Western Carolina University
- Public 4 Year
- Cullowhee, NC
-
4.6 | 10 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Western Carolina is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and criminal justice. The campus sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Cullowhee.
- SAT Range 1080-1270
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $13,767
Methodist University
- Private 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Methodist University is a private university known for undergraduate PGA golf management and business. The campus sits in Fayetteville near Fort Liberty.
- SAT Range 1080-1250
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $26,334
Johnson & Wales University Charlotte
- Private 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Johnson & Wales Charlotte is a private university known for undergraduate culinary arts, hospitality management, and business. The urban campus is located in uptown Charlotte.
- SAT Range 880-1130
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $28,084
Wingate University
- Private 4 Year
- Wingate, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Wingate is a private university known for undergraduate programs in the health sciences, business, and education. The residential campus sits in a small town east of Charlotte.
- SAT Range 1010-1210
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $21,282
Belmont Abbey College
- Private 4 Year
- Belmont, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Belmont Abbey is a private Benedictine Catholic college known for undergraduate business and the liberal arts. The historic campus adjoins Belmont Abbey monastery in the Charlotte metro area.
- SAT Range 960-1200
- Avg GPA 3.32
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $24,726
Winston Salem State University
- Public 4 Year
- Winston-Salem, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Winston-Salem State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The urban campus is part of the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 830-1020
- Avg GPA 3.01
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,989
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- Public 4 Year
- Pembroke, NC
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
UNC Pembroke is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus was founded to serve Native American students and remains closely tied to the Lumbee community.
- SAT Range 970-1200
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $9,723
University of Mount Olive
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Olive, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Mount Olive is a private Christian university known for undergraduate agriculture and business. The residential campus is in the small town of Mount Olive in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 990-1150
- Avg GPA 2.85
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $18,853
North Carolina A & T State University
- Public 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
NC A&T is a large public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. The urban campus is in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1020-1190
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 50%
- Net Price $10,097
Barton College
- Private 4 Year
- Wilson, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Barton is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus is in the small city of Wilson in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 970-1150
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $23,962
North Carolina Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Rocky Mount, NC
-
| 0 reviews
North Carolina Wesleyan is a small private university known for undergraduate business, education, and criminal justice. The residential campus is located in Rocky Mount in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 860-1120
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $18,472
Elizabeth City State University
- Public 4 Year
- Elizabeth City, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
ECSU is a public HBCU known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small coastal city of Elizabeth City in northeastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 920-1080
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $6,483
Johnson C Smith University
- Private 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
Johnson C. Smith is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate business, computer science, and social work. The compact urban campus sits in Charlotte's historic West End.
- SAT Range 800-980
- Avg GPA 2.48
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $19,705
North Carolina Central University
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NCCU is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The campus sits in Durham within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 980-1100
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,475
Fayetteville State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fayetteville State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. It is a historically Black university in the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $7,811
College of the Albemarle
- Public 2 Year
- Elizabeth City, NC
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
College of the Albemarle is a public community college known for associate degree programs in nursing and allied health. The main campus is located in Elizabeth City in northeastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $3,931
South Piedmont Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Polkton, NC
-
| 0 reviews
South Piedmont is a public community college known for associate degrees and certificates in nursing, business, and industrial technologies. Campuses in Polkton and the Monroe area serve Anson and Union counties in southern North Carolina.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,689