North Carolina Public Colleges Ranked by Smallest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 74 public colleges in North Carolina with the smallest enrollment of full and part time students. Pamlico Community College leads the list with a population of 263 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 Smallest Enrollment
College	Enrollment
Vance Granville Community College Henderson, North Carolina	2,936
University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, North Carolina	3,056
Craven Community College New Bern, North Carolina	3,103
Wayne Community College Goldsboro, North Carolina	3,626
Coastal Carolina Community College Jacksonville, North Carolina	3,659
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Hudson, North Carolina	3,914
Mitchell Community College Statesville, North Carolina	3,979
South Piedmont Community College Polkton, North Carolina	4,013
Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, North Carolina	4,115
Davidson Davie Community College Thomasville, North Carolina	4,305
Winston Salem State University Winston-Salem, North Carolina	4,782
Alamance Community College Graham, North Carolina	4,827
Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, North Carolina	4,904
Durham Technical Community College Durham, North Carolina	5,157
Johnston Community College Smithfield, North Carolina	5,371
Central Carolina Community College Sanford, North Carolina	5,882
Gaston College Dallas, North Carolina	6,443
Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville, North Carolina	6,510

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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

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