Largest North Carolina Private Colleges

In North Carolina, there are a total of 588,109 students enrolled in higher education institutions. Of these, 486,793 attend public colleges and universities, while 101,316 are enrolled in private institutions. This comprehensive overview highlights the scale and diversity of college enrollment in North Carolina, helping prospective students and families understand their options among the largest educational institutions.

Explore Largest North Carolina Private Colleges with the Most Students, where 17,499 students are enrolled at Duke University, making it the largest institution in terms of enrollment.

Following closely, Wake Forest University ranks second with 9,322 students, while Elon University holds the third spot at 7,239. These institutions set the benchmark for large-scale education.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $43,206 and graduate tuition & fees is $27,127 for the academic year 2024-2025.

At these High Enrollment North Carolina Private Colleges, the average acceptance rate is 65.89%, and the average SAT score is 1,236, making them not only cost-effective but also accessible options for a wide range of students.

Our analysis includes colleges with at least 1,000 total enrollments and excludes online universities to provide a balanced overview. For a comprehensive list of online universities, visit the largest North Carolina private online colleges.

Comparison between Largest North Carolina Private Colleges With The Most Students

Table. Largest North Carolina Private Colleges With The Most Students Comparison
School NameTotal PopulationUndergraduateGraduateMenWomenOnline Enrollment
1
-
Duke University Durham, NCPrivate, 4-year 17,499
387
6,523
(37.28%)
10,976
(62.72%)
7,778
(44.45%)
9,721
(55.55%)
1,312
(7.50%)
2
-
Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NCPrivate, 4-year 9,322
201
5,490
(58.89%)
3,832
(41.11%)
4,026
(43.19%)
5,296
(56.81%)
1,233
(13.23%)
3
-
Elon University Elon, NCPrivate, 4-year 7,239
32
6,452
(89.13%)
787
(10.87%)
2,903
(40.10%)
4,336
(59.90%)
-
(0.00%)
4
-
High Point University High Point, NCPrivate, 4-year 6,331
279
5,135
(81.11%)
1,196
(18.89%)
2,680
(42.33%)
3,651
(57.67%)
294
(4.64%)
5
-
Campbell University Buies Creek, NCPrivate, 4-year 4,963
152
2,699
(54.38%)
2,264
(45.62%)
2,142
(43.16%)
2,821
(56.84%)
711
(14.33%)
6
-
Wingate University Wingate, NCPrivate, 4-year 3,458
136
2,673
(77.30%)
785
(22.70%)
1,341
(38.78%)
2,117
(61.22%)
258
(7.46%)
7
1
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NCPrivate, 4-year 3,220
294
957
(29.72%)
2,263
(70.28%)
2,162
(67.14%)
1,058
(32.86%)
1,114
(34.60%)
8
1
Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NCPrivate, 4-year 3,104
21
1,861
(59.95%)
1,243
(40.05%)
1,038
(33.44%)
2,066
(66.56%)
1,075
(34.63%)
9
-
Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, NCPrivate, 4-year 2,256
26
1,472
(65.25%)
784
(34.75%)
905
(40.12%)
1,351
(59.88%)
347
(15.38%)
10
1
Methodist University Fayetteville, NCPrivate, 4-year 1,822
54
1,467
(80.52%)
355
(19.48%)
937
(51.43%)
885
(48.57%)
276
(15.15%)
Average5,9213,473
(58.65%)
2,449
(41.35%)
2,591
(43.76%)
3,330
(56.24%)
736
(12.42%)