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
University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, North Carolina	3,056
Vance Granville Community College Henderson, North Carolina	2,936
College of the Albemarle Elizabeth City, North Carolina	2,905
Randolph Community College Asheboro, North Carolina	2,814
Surry Community College Dobson, North Carolina	2,796
Nash Community College Rocky Mount, North Carolina	2,780
Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock, North Carolina	2,723
Wilkes Community College Wilkesboro, North Carolina	2,593
Lenoir Community College Kinston, North Carolina	2,591
Stanly Community College Albemarle, North Carolina	2,468
Richmond Community College Hamlet, North Carolina	2,384
Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, North Carolina	2,258
Robeson Community College Lumberton, North Carolina	2,238
Southwestern Community College Sylva, North Carolina	2,157
Brunswick Community College Bolivia, North Carolina	2,009
Isothermal Community College Spindale, North Carolina	1,918
Beaufort County Community College Washington, North Carolina	1,856
Wilson Community College Wilson, North Carolina	1,832

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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.