North Carolina Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in North Carolina for 2025

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in North Carolina. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is Duke University which sent acceptance letters to only 7% of the 46,365 students who applied and rejected 93%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore rankings of North Carolina colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
North Carolina Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

14 results

Duke University
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D
Durham, NC

Duke University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in America

  • 17,112enrollment
  • $23,422net price
  • 1510-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.94Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

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Davidson College
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D
Davidson, NC

Davidson College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

14% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Colleges in North Carolina

  • 1,904enrollment
  • $26,510net price
  • 1360-1510SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 3.81Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 7

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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N
Chapel Hill, NC

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

19% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Public Universities in America

  • 32,234enrollment
  • $11,140net price
  • 1370-1530SAT range
  • 30-34ACT range
  • 3.83Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Wake Forest University
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W
Winston Salem, NC

Wake Forest University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

22% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in North Carolina

  • 9,121enrollment
  • $27,790net price
  • 1390-1510SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Piedmont International University
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P
Winston Salem, NC
 

Piedmont International University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 691enrollment
  • $15,119net price
  • 770-1230SAT range
  • 15-23ACT range
  • 3.07Estimated Avg GPA

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Shaw University
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S
HBCU
Raleigh, NC

Shaw University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

30% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 962enrollment
  • $14,111net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.6Avg GPA

Applications Due Jul 30

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University of North Carolina School of the Arts
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N
Winston-Salem, NC

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

33% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 1,074enrollment
  • $11,163net price
  • 1150-1350SAT range
  • 24-27ACT range
  • 3.75Avg GPA

Applications Due Mar 15

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Bennett College for Women
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B
HBCU
Greensboro, NC

Bennett College for Women

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

34% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 195enrollment
  • $20,928net price
  • 858-946SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.74Estimated Avg GPA

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Carolina University
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C
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
 

Carolina University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

34% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 893enrollment
  • $19,111net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.0Avg GPA

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Brevard College
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B
Brevard, NC

Brevard College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 787enrollment
  • $26,938net price
  • 870-1220SAT range
  • 16-26ACT range
  • 3.07Avg GPA

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North Carolina State University at Raleigh
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N
Raleigh, NC

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

#20 Best Public Universities in America

  • 37,323enrollment
  • $14,860net price
  • 1300-1460SAT range
  • 28-32ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Johnson C Smith University
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J
HBCU
Charlotte, NC

Johnson C Smith University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

43% Acceptance Rate

#17 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina

  • 1,102enrollment
  • $19,326net price
  • 800-980SAT range
  • 13-18ACT range
  • 2.48Avg GPA

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North Carolina A & T State University
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N
HBCU
Greensboro, NC

North Carolina A & T State University

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

#11 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 13,885enrollment
  • $10,258net price
  • 960-1190SAT range
  • 16-22ACT range
  • 3.61Avg GPA

Applications Due Jun 1

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Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
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C
Concord, NC
 

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

49% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 753enrollment
  • $14,344net price
  • 970-1060SAT range
  • 16-22ACT range
  • 3.21Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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