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
Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Asheville, NC
-
2.0 | 1 reviews
A-B Tech is a community college known for associate programs in nursing and culinary arts. The main campus is located in Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains region.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,602
Beaufort County Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Washington, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Beaufort County Community College is a community college offering associate degrees and certificates in nursing, business, and technical trades. The small-town campus sits in Washington in eastern North Carolina near the Pamlico River.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,479
Bennett College
- Private 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Bennett is a private historically Black women's college known for undergraduate education, social work, and the liberal arts. The small residential campus in Greensboro is one of only two remaining HBCUs dedicated exclusively to women.
- SAT Range 820-1060
- Predicted Avg GPA 2.74
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $26,990
Bladen Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Dublin, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Bladen Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees and certificates in nursing, business, and industrial technologies. The small rural campus serves students in southeastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.6
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,551
Blue Ridge Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Flat Rock, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Blue Ridge Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career-certificate programs. The Flat Rock campus sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,273
Brevard College
- Private 4 Year
- Brevard, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Brevard is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate wilderness leadership and environmental studies. The campus sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Pisgah National Forest.
- SAT Range 870-1220
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $26,930
Brunswick Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Bolivia, NC
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Brunswick Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career-focused technical programs. The campus is located in a small coastal town in southeastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,360
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
- Private 4 Year
- Concord, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Cabarrus College is a private health sciences college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. The Concord campus is closely tied to Atrium Health for clinical training.
- SAT Range 970-1060
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.21
- Acceptance Rate 23%
- Net Price $14,795
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
- Public 2 Year
- Hudson, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Caldwell Community College is a public community college known for associate degrees in nursing and industrial technologies. The main campus is in the small town of Hudson, with a second campus in Boone.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,253
Cape Fear Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Wilmington, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Cape Fear is a community college known for marine technology and allied health programs. Campuses in coastal Wilmington sit along the Cape Fear River.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,900
Carteret Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Morehead City, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Carteret Community College is a public community college known for undergraduate programs in marine trades, aquaculture, and nursing. The waterfront campus sits in Morehead City on North Carolina's Crystal Coast.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,661
Catawba Valley Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Hickory, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Catawba Valley is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing, health sciences, and technical fields. The campus sits in Hickory in North Carolina's western foothills.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.73
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,996
Central Carolina Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Sanford, NC
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
Central Carolina is a public community college offering associate degrees in health sciences, industrial technologies, and agriculture. The main campus is in Sanford, with additional sites serving Lee, Chatham, and Harnett counties.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,317
Central Piedmont Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Central Piedmont is a large community college known for associate programs in health sciences and technical trades. Multiple urban campuses serve students across the Charlotte area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $4,616
Chowan University
- Private 4 Year
- Murfreesboro, NC
-
3.0 | 3 reviews
Chowan is a small private Baptist university with undergraduate programs in education and business. Students live on a residential campus in the small town of Murfreesboro.
- SAT Range 880-1145
- Avg GPA 2.89
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $15,206
Cleveland Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Shelby, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Cleveland Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees and certificate programs in areas such as nursing and business. The campus is located in the small city of Shelby in western North Carolina.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $706
Coastal Carolina Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Jacksonville, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Coastal Carolina Community College is a public community college known for nursing and allied health programs. The Jacksonville campus serves many military-affiliated students near Camp Lejeune.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,752
Craven Community College
- Public 2 Year
- New Bern, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Craven Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees and technical career programs. Most students commute to the main campus in the historic river city of New Bern.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $3,596