Top 2020 Colleges in North Carolina

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North Carolina's 182 Colleges and Universities

Colleges in North Carolina range from four year state universities to community colleges. The majority are two year public community colleges. Let’s look at some NCES stats about the Old North State:

• North Carolina is home to 83 four year colleges. Most of them offer master's or doctorate programs in addition to undergraduate degrees.
• There are 96 two year or less colleges. Only 59 of them are public community colleges.
• Over the past 5 years North Carolina colleges have seen a small 2.5% drop in students. In 2017, 563,831 students were enrolled in college.
• In total, there were 112,634 degrees awarded for the 2016 school year. 49% of those awards were bachelor's degrees.

Salary Breakdown

College Scorecard tells us alums from the Duke University earn among the highest average salary. 10 years after starting school, the average alum from Duke University earns $99,600. Meanwhile, the 2018 mean annual wage earned in North Carolina is $47,200. You do the math!

North Carolina's Tuition Programs

The NC Promise Affordable Education program offers reduced college tuition at three participating colleges. Reduced tuition is $500 per semester or $2,500 per semester for out-of-state. For instance, in-state students at Elizabeth City State University save $7,000 in tuition. ECSU out-of-state students save $44,000 in tuition. Overall, NC Promise reduces students' financial burden while pursuing a college degree.

North Carolina is also a member of the SREB's Academic Common Market. Students pay in-state tuition at participating out-of-state colleges. This program allows students to pursue a desired degree outside of North Carolina. For example, if you went to a member school in Georgia you would pay Georgia's in-state tuition. Other participating states are South Carolina and Virginia.

According to the NCES in 2017-2018, the average tuition and fees in a four year public university are $8,188. In comparison, a private four year college's tuition and fees are $23,659. Check out North Carolina's tuition programs to help save for college!

Top Colleges in North Carolina

Top North Carolina colleges were ranked by total student population.

All Colleges in North Carolina

Thousands of students have rated these Colleges in North Carolina. Discover what they have to say. Find out about campus life, academics and more!

Source for school statistics and data is the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.