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
Western Piedmont Community College Morganton, North Carolina	1,813
Rockingham Community College Wentworth, North Carolina	1,803
Carteret Community College Morehead City, North Carolina	1,614
Cleveland Community College Shelby, North Carolina	1,558
Sampson Community College Clinton, North Carolina	1,526
James Sprunt Community College Kenansville, North Carolina	1,519
Southeastern Community College Whiteville, North Carolina	1,426
Edgecombe Community College Tarboro, North Carolina	1,397
Haywood Community College Clyde, North Carolina	1,395
McDowell Technical Community College Marion, North Carolina	1,249
Montgomery Community College Troy, North Carolina	1,184
Bladen Community College Dublin, North Carolina	1,173
University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, North Carolina	1,111
Halifax Community College Weldon, North Carolina	1,061
Tri County Community College Murphy, North Carolina	1,023
Piedmont Community College Roxboro, North Carolina	896
Martin Community College Williamston, North Carolina	891
Mayland Community College Spruce Pine, North Carolina	850

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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.