North Carolina Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 74 public colleges in North Carolina with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. North Carolina State University at Raleigh leads the list with a population of 38,464 students.

Enrollment is a measure of the size of the student body. Larger schools are more likely to offer a wider range of programs and services while smaller schools may have a more intimate and personalized experience.

List of North Carolina Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College	Enrollment
Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, North Carolina	7,107
Rowan Cabarrus Community College Salisbury, North Carolina	7,028
Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville, North Carolina	6,510
Gaston College Dallas, North Carolina	6,443
Central Carolina Community College Sanford, North Carolina	5,882
Johnston Community College Smithfield, North Carolina	5,371
Durham Technical Community College Durham, North Carolina	5,157
Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, North Carolina	4,904
Alamance Community College Graham, North Carolina	4,827
Winston Salem State University Winston-Salem, North Carolina	4,782
Davidson Davie Community College Thomasville, North Carolina	4,305
Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, North Carolina	4,115
South Piedmont Community College Polkton, North Carolina	4,013
Mitchell Community College Statesville, North Carolina	3,979
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Hudson, North Carolina	3,914
Coastal Carolina Community College Jacksonville, North Carolina	3,659
Wayne Community College Goldsboro, North Carolina	3,626
Craven Community College New Bern, North Carolina	3,103

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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.