by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Top North Carolina Colleges ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
We analyzed 93 colleges and universities across North Carolina to determine which were the best in terms of overall quality. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as student-to-faculty ratio, average graduate earnings, and graduation rate.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Duke University tops this year’s ranking as the best school in North Carolina for overall quality.
The student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Duke go into careers with an average salary of $97,800 during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in North Carolina.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill go into careers with an average salary of $72,200 during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Wake Forest University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in North Carolina.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University is $78,158 during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at North Carolina State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in North Carolina.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from NC State is $68,758 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Elon University. The school came in at #5 in North Carolina on this year’s overall quality ranking.
The 4-year grad rate at the school is 79%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Elon make an average of $74,545 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #6, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from JWU Charlotte make an average of $43,418 a year.
East Carolina University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in North Carolina ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from ECU go into careers with an average salary of $55,146 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #8, Mitchell Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $33,298 during the early years of their career..
Alamance Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from ACC make an average of $34,241 per year during the early years of their career.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in North Carolina ranking.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $57,289 during the early years of their career..
Read full report on University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Appalachian State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State make an average of $51,836 per year during the early years of their career.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $54,967 during the early years of their career..
Surry Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Surry Community College make an average of $36,012 a year.
With a ranking of #14, Wake Technical Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $41,769 during the early years of their career..
Gaston College landed the #15 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Gaston College make an average of $35,386 a year.
Randolph Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Randolph Community College go into careers with an average salary of $33,336 during the early years of their career.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UNC Greensboro make an average of $48,160 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of North Carolina at Greensboro
With a ranking of #18, Central Piedmont Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $37,865 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #19, Richmond Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Richmond Community College is $29,951 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #20, High Point University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from High Point go into careers with an average salary of $61,389 during the early years of their career.
Lenoir Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Lenoir Community College go into careers with an average salary of $33,866 during the early years of their career.
Rockingham Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from RCC is $32,480 during the early years of their career.
Brunswick Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $36,668 during the early years of their career..
Guilford Technical Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges in North Carolina list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Guilford Technical Community College is $33,934 during the early years of their career.
Catawba Valley Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #25.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $36,977 during the early years of their career..
View Best Colleges Nationwide >
All Majors and Fields of Study >
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.