North Carolina Best College Rankings
Duke University ranked first and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked second in North Carolina college rankings. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the North Carolina best colleges is $21,471 for North Carolina residents and $30,549 for out-of-state students. The average acceptance rate is 70.90% and the average SAT score is 1,207. The average number of student population is 8,801 and the average student to faculty ratio is 14 to 1.
Below statements summarize the average statistics of tuition, admission, and more academic factors for North Carolina best colleges. For the statistics, we only include 4 years colleges such as national universities and liberal arts colleges.
- The average undergraduate tuition & fees is $30,549 and Duke University has the highest tuition & fees of $65,805 and Elizabeth City State University has the lowest tuition & fees of $7,412.
- The average graduate tuition & fees is $20,891 and Duke University has the highest tuition & fees of $63,985 and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary has the lowest tuition & fees of $6,388.
- The average SAT score is 1,207 and Duke University has the highest SAT score of 1,550 and Winston-Salem State University has the lowest score of 940.
- The average acceptance rate is 70.90% and Duke University has the tightest (lowest) rate of 7% and William Peace University has the loosest (lowest) rate of 97%.
- The average student population is 8,801 and North Carolina State University at Raleigh has the most students of 37,323 and Salem College has the fewest students of 519.
- The average graduation rate is 57.77% and Duke University has the highest rate of 96% and Strayer University-North Carolina has the lowest rate of 17%.
North Carolina Best Colleges Comparison
The below table compares the 35 best colleges in North Carolina with important academic factors. You can sort the table by touching/clicking a column name that you want to sort.
| Rank | College Name | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Graduate Tuition & Fees | SAT Score | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University Durham, NC | $65,805 | $63,985 | 1,550 | 6.8% | 17,112 | 96% | 6 to 1 |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | $39,330 | $30,819 | 1,470 | 18.7% | 32,234 | 92% | 15 to 1 |
| 3 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | $31,767 | $31,793 | 1,380 | 39.9% | 37,323 | 85% | 15 to 1 |
| 4 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | $64,758 | $39,350 | 1,460 | 21.6% | 9,121 | 91% | 9 to 1 |
| 5 | Davidson College Davidson, NC | $60,050 | - | 1,455 | 14.5% | 1,904 | 92% | 9 to 1 |
| 6 | Elon University Elon, NC | $44,536 | $20,574 | 1,210 | 67.3% | 7,207 | 83% | 11 to 1 |
| 7 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC | $42,790 | $15,270 | 1,200 | 67.7% | 1,846 | 66% | 9 to 1 |
| 8 | Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, NC | $33,930 | $12,240 | - | 95.3% | 954 | 43% | 14 to 1 |
| 9 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC | $40,410 | $16,158 | - | 94.3% | 5,115 | 56% | 13 to 1 |
| 10 | Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC | $33,450 | $11,300 | 1,140 | 87.0% | 3,125 | 62% | 11 to 1 |
| 11 | Methodist University Fayetteville, NC | $39,664 | $43,365 | 1,180 | 75.2% | 1,768 | 40% | 9 to 1 |
| 12 | Montreat College Montreat, NC | $33,860 | $11,310 | - | 65.6% | 932 | 41% | 12 to 1 |
| 13 | Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC | $40,290 | $20,550 | - | 77.6% | 797 | 43% | 11 to 1 |
| 14 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC | $10,516 | $6,388 | 1,090 | 76.6% | 2,926 | 46% | 11 to 1 |
| 15 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC | $24,537 | $24,140 | 1,180 | 88.6% | 21,253 | 73% | 16 to 1 |
| 16 | Guilford College Greensboro, NC | $41,140 | $14,880 | 1,120 | 83.8% | 1,208 | 48% | 12 to 1 |
| 17 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC | $21,876 | $22,438 | 1,220 | 80.2% | 30,298 | 68% | 21 to 1 |
| 18 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC | $22,985 | $23,029 | 1,290 | 74.0% | 17,987 | 71% | 17 to 1 |
| 19 | Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, NC | $30,900 | $12,240 | - | 80.7% | 2,230 | 51% | 15 to 1 |
| 20 | Meredith College Raleigh, NC | $43,936 | $13,619 | 1,185 | 74.7% | 1,576 | 65% | 10 to 1 |
| 21 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC | $23,339 | $22,676 | 1,180 | 89.8% | 17,743 | 58% | 17 to 1 |
| 22 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC | $20,408 | $20,903 | 1,080 | 46.2% | 13,885 | 55% | 20 to 1 |
| 23 | North Carolina Central University Durham, NC | $19,578 | $20,788 | 1,060 | 90.5% | 7,965 | 46% | 16 to 1 |
| 24 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | $8,532 | $18,497 | 1,155 | 86.7% | 11,628 | 59% | 16 to 1 |
| 25 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC | $24,809 | $24,575 | 1,240 | 93.9% | 2,925 | 55% | 11 to 1 |
| 26 | Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC | $20,480 | $19,612 | - | 42.9% | 1,102 | 34% | 11 to 1 |
| 27 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC | $23,638 | $20,807 | 1,130 | 90.1% | 26,785 | 62% | 17 to 1 |
| 28 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC | $7,412 | $18,849 | - | 70.5% | 2,165 | 48% | 17 to 1 |
| 29 | Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC | $17,391 | $17,741 | 940 | 68.6% | 4,776 | 49% | 16 to 1 |
| 30 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC | $7,969 | $17,262 | 950 | 79.9% | 6,847 | 35% | 19 to 1 |
| 31 | Salem College Winston-Salem, NC | $32,752 | $6,600 | 1,235 | 87.0% | 519 | 56% | 7 to 1 |
| 32 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC | $7,571 | $19,910 | - | 92.4% | 7,630 | 45% | 14 to 1 |
| 33 | William Peace University Raleigh, NC | $33,150 | - | 1,210 | 97.4% | 730 | 44% | 12 to 1 |
| 34 | Strayer University-North Carolina Greensboro, NC | $13,920 | $15,135 | - | - | 3,112 | 17% | 39 to 1 |
| 35 | Wingate University Wingate, NC | $41,731 | $12,600 | 1,080 | 85.0% | 3,322 | 47% | 15 to 1 |
| Average | $30,549 | $20,891 | 1,207 | 70.9% | 8,801 | 58% | 14 to 1 |
North Carolina Colleges by Ranking and School Type