North Carolina has 176 colleges including 83 four-year colleges, 69 community colleges, and 24 trade schools. By control type, 76 schools are public and 100 schools are private. 588,109 students enrolled in North Carolina colleges according to IPEDS.
For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 83 schools are active in North Carolina (17 public and 66 private). 342,151 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 141,222 men and 200,929 women students.
These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 67.55% and an average SAT score of 1,176. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $7,622 and for out-of-state students is $20,991. The average enrollment is about 4,122 students per college. On average, each college offers about 62 programs.
The following table lists major colleges in North Carolina that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by North Carolina residents. It includes 2 public institutions and 8 private institutions.
| Region | Prominent Institutions |
|---|---|
| Research Triangle | Duke University (Durham), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill), North Carolina State University (Raleigh) |
| Charlotte Area | University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte), Davidson College (Davidson) |
| Triad | Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem), University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Greensboro), Elon University (Elon) |
| Eastern NC | East Carolina University (Greenville) |
| Western NC | Appalachian State University (Boone), Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, located in Chapel Hill, is generally considered the flagship institution in North Carolina. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 162 graduate programs and 26 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 32,438 including 1,858 online students.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 38,464 students. It offers the largest number of programs of 325.
Of the major colleges in North Carolina, 5 law schools and 3 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. 3 colleges like Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.
| Name | Graduate Programs | Distance Learning | Tuition & Fees | Adm. Rate | SAT Score | Enroll | Offered Programs | Law School | Medical School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University Durham | Yes | Yes | $68,758 | 5.71% | 1540 | 17,499 | 275 | Visit | Visit |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill | Yes | Yes | $41,203 | 15.34% | 1480 | 32,438 | 247 | Visit | Visit |
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem | Yes | Yes | $67,642 | 21.67% | 1470 | 9,322 | 120 | Visit | Visit |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh | Yes | Yes | $32,847 | 41.74% | 1370 | 38,464 | 325 | ||
| Davidson College Davidson | No | No | $64,430 | 13.37% | 1460 | 1,869 | 37 | ||
| Elon University Elon | Yes | Yes | $46,958 | 66.35% | 1200 | 7,239 | 99 | Visit | |
| Campbell University Buies Creek | Yes | Yes | $41,600 | 87.18% | 4,963 | 120 | Visit | ||
| Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte | Yes | Yes | $45,846 | 62.08% | 1220 | 1,599 | 80 | ||
| Salem College Winston-Salem | Yes | Yes | $33,848 | 76.67% | 1160 | 549 | 41 | ||
| Warren Wilson College Swannanoa | Yes | Yes | $41,500 | 71.34% | 791 | 30 |