There are 176 colleges in North Carolina - 76 public and 100 private schools. The 2025 average undergraduate tuition of the North Carolina colleges is $7,622 for state residents and $25,580 for out-of-state students.
91 North Carolina cities have at least one college and, of them, Charlotte has the most of 18 colleges. It has 11 four-year colleges and 3 community colleges with a total of 57,341 students. Raleigh and Greensboro also has a number of colleges of 15 and 11 colleges respectively.
The following table shows the North Carolina colleges by city. The 2025 tuition & fees based on 4-year colleges' cost.
| City | Number of Schools | Under-graduate Tuition | Graduate Tuition | Population | Students to Faculty | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 4-year | Community Colleges | Trade Schools | Total | Under. | Graduate | ||||
| Charlotte | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | $23,232 ($13,061) |
$17,509 ($8,037) |
57,341 | 50,656 | 6,685 | 11 to 1 |
| Raleigh | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | $24,201 ($8,799) |
$17,850 ($12,101) |
68,583 | 58,193 | 10,390 | 11 to 1 |
| Greensboro | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | $22,656 ($7,237) |
$15,807 ($8,491) |
39,000 | 33,108 | 5,892 | 15 to 1 |
| Fayetteville | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | $16,404 ($4,353) |
$20,222 ($6,791) |
21,680 | 20,173 | 1,507 | 16 to 1 |
| Asheville | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | $20,144 ($7,501) |
$23,693 ($8,293) |
10,018 | 9,892 | 126 | 8 to 1 |
| Winston-Salem | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | $33,962 ($6,126) |
$18,856 ($6,597) |
24,741 | 19,814 | 4,927 | 15 to 1 |
| Durham | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $36,996 ($6,699) |
$43,735 ($7,638) |
31,485 | 18,525 | 12,960 | 12 to 1 |
| Wilmington | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | $25,596 ($7,277) |
$24,198 ($8,112) |
33,108 | 29,514 | 3,594 | 15 to 1 |
| Salisbury | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | $24,065 | $13,892 | 9,455 | 9,214 | 241 | 11 to 1 |
| Concord | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | $15,235 | $32,240 | 1,034 | 926 | 108 | 10 to 1 |
| Elizabeth City | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | $13,908 ($6,536) |
$21,973 ($8,911) |
5,303 | 5,199 | 104 | 14 to 1 |
| Chapel Hill | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | $41,203 ($8,994) |
$31,408 ($12,751) |
32,636 | 21,083 | 11,553 | 18 to 1 |
| Greenville | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | $23,638 ($7,361) |
$20,807 ($7,658) |
26,995 | 21,500 | 5,495 | 16 to 1 |
| Mooresville | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1,363 | 1,363 | - | 22 to 1 |
| Jacksonville | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 3,854 | 3,854 | - | 15 to 1 |
| High Point | 2 | 2 | - | - | $31,604 | $25,318 | 6,398 | 5,202 | 1,200 | 24 to 1 |
| Rocky Mount | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $35,586 | $12,700 | 4,199 | 4,042 | 157 | 17 to 1 |
| Winston Salem | 2 | 2 | - | - | $18,591 ($9,477) |
$20,301 ($12,676) |
1,182 | 998 | 184 | 8 to 1 |
| Hickory | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $31,900 | $13,020 | 7,160 | 6,376 | 784 | 13 to 1 |
| Dallas | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 6,443 | 6,443 | - | 9 to 1 |
| Wilson | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $37,000 | $10,667 | 3,067 | 2,981 | 86 | 11 to 1 |
| Belmont | 1 | 1 | - | - | $19,500 | $17,624 | 1,388 | 1,298 | 90 | 12 to 1 |
| Shelby | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,558 | 1,558 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Dunn | 1 | 1 | - | - | $8,688 | $10,440 | 26 | 22 | 4 | 2 to 1 |
| Mount Olive | 1 | 1 | - | - | $27,366 | $18,700 | 2,109 | 1,944 | 165 | 17 to 1 |
| Laurinburg | 1 | 1 | - | - | $32,388 | $16,000 | 676 | 628 | 48 | 16 to 1 |
| Sugar Grove | 1 | 1 | - | - | $13,828 | $15,148 | 69 | - | 69 | - |
| Williamston | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 891 | 891 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Asheboro | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,814 | 2,814 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Swannanoa | 1 | 1 | - | - | $41,500 | $21,200 | 791 | 740 | 51 | 12 to 1 |
| Dublin | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,173 | 1,173 | - | 10 to 1 |
| New Bern | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3,103 | 3,103 | - | 13 to 1 |
| Spindale | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,918 | 1,918 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Sylva | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,157 | 2,157 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Mebane | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 38 | 38 | - | 17 to 1 |
| Polkton | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 4,013 | 4,013 | - | 19 to 1 |
| Boiling Springs | 1 | 1 | - | - | $34,750 | $12,125 | 3,104 | 1,861 | 1,243 | 12 to 1 |
| Marion | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,249 | 1,249 | - | 8 to 1 |
| Ahoskie | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 668 | 668 | - | 13 to 1 |
| Morganton | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,813 | 1,813 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Brevard | 1 | 1 | - | - | $32,280 | $9,000 | 875 | 821 | 54 | 12 to 1 |
| Davidson | 1 | 1 | - | - | $64,430 | - | 1,869 | 1,869 | - | 8 to 1 |
| Smithfield | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 5,371 | 5,371 | - | 13 to 1 |
| Grantsboro | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 263 | 263 | - | 4 to 1 |
| Wake Forest | 1 | 1 | - | - | $11,318 | $6,516 | 3,220 | 957 | 2,263 | 9 to 1 |
| Nashville | 1 | 1 | - | - | $14,016 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sanford | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 5,882 | 5,882 | - | 12 to 1 |
| Jamestown | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 11,485 | 11,485 | - | 16 to 1 |
| Statesville | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3,979 | 3,979 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Wentworth | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,803 | 1,803 | - | 12 to 1 |
| Wingate | 1 | 1 | - | - | $42,576 | $11,864 | 3,458 | 2,673 | 785 | 15 to 1 |
| Kinston | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,591 | 2,591 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Misenheimer | 1 | 1 | - | - | $35,070 | $12,240 | 889 | 696 | 193 | 11 to 1 |
| Graham | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 4,827 | 4,827 | - | 18 to 1 |
| Washington | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,856 | 1,856 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Murfreesboro | 1 | 1 | - | - | $27,910 | $9,180 | 675 | 603 | 72 | 15 to 1 |
| Clyde | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,395 | 1,395 | - | 7 to 1 |
| Montreat | 1 | 1 | - | - | $36,450 | $11,820 | 962 | 781 | 181 | 11 to 1 |
| Pinehurst | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 4,115 | 4,115 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Buies Creek | 1 | 1 | - | - | $41,600 | $16,347 | 4,963 | 2,699 | 2,264 | 13 to 1 |
| Elon | 1 | 1 | - | - | $46,958 | $22,086 | 7,239 | 6,452 | 787 | 11 to 1 |
| Mars Hill | 1 | 1 | - | - | $37,736 | $14,364 | 1,110 | 1,061 | 49 | 11 to 1 |
| Winterville | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 7,684 | 7,684 | - | 17 to 1 |
| Henderson | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,936 | 2,936 | - | 17 to 1 |
| Whiteville | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,426 | 1,426 | - | 12 to 1 |
| Cary | 1 | 1 | - | - | $7,740 | $8,845 | 201 | - | 201 | - |
| Morehead City | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,614 | 1,614 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Spruce Pine | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 850 | 850 | - | 8 to 1 |
| Hamlet | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,384 | 2,384 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Goldsboro | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3,626 | 3,626 | - | 12 to 1 |
| Flat Rock | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,723 | 2,723 | - | 12 to 1 |
| Thomasville | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 4,305 | 4,305 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Kenansville | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,519 | 1,519 | - | 12 to 1 |
| Albemarle | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,468 | 2,468 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Wendell | 1 | 1 | - | - | $11,739 | - | 64 | 64 | - | 8 to 1 |
| Boone | 1 | 1 | - | - | $25,212 ($7,579) |
$25,241 ($8,570) |
21,570 | 19,560 | 2,010 | 16 to 1 |
| Lumberton | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,238 | 2,238 | - | 13 to 1 |
| Wilkesboro | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,593 | 2,593 | - | 8 to 1 |
| Bolivia | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,009 | 2,009 | - | 17 to 1 |
| Banner Elk | 1 | 1 | - | - | $33,850 | $10,485 | 910 | 873 | 37 | 11 to 1 |
| Pembroke | 1 | 1 | - | - | $7,648 ($3,648) |
$19,987 ($6,928) |
7,674 | 5,437 | 2,237 | 14 to 1 |
| Dobson | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,796 | 2,796 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Weldon | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,061 | 1,061 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Troy | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,184 | 1,184 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Clinton | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,526 | 1,526 | - | 8 to 1 |
| Cullowhee | 1 | 1 | - | - | $8,630 ($4,630) |
$18,595 ($7,876) |
11,686 | 10,112 | 1,574 | 16 to 1 |
| Hudson | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3,914 | 3,914 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Tarboro | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,397 | 1,397 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Louisburg | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 402 | 402 | - | 18 to 1 |
| Roxboro | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 896 | 896 | - | 6 to 1 |
| Murphy | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,023 | 1,023 | - | 13 to 1 |