2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking.
Our analysis looked at 67 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for veterans and active service men and women. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including the school's overall quality, the number of GI Bill® recipients at the school, and the percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our analysis found University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to be the best school for veterans in North Carolina in this year’s ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,954 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 30,092 students enrolled at UNC Chapel Hill, 641 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 419 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,668. On top of their other funding sources, 18 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNC Chapel Hill does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. In addition to its best for vets ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UNC Chapel Hill is ranked #4 for overall quality in North Carolina.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list means North Carolina State University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. North Carolina State University is a large public school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 9,559 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 36,042 students enrolled at NC State, 1,068 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 719 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,891. On top of their other funding sources, 33 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. NC State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, NC State also did well on our Best Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Carolina University. The school came in at #3 in North Carolina on this year’s best for vets ranking. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, the large public school awarded 6,966 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 1,696 of the 28,798 students enrolled at ECU were GI Bill® students, of which 942 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,392. On top of their other funding sources, 42 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
ECU also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list means Appalachian State University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This large public school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 5,052 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 749 of the 20,023 students enrolled at Appalachian State were GI Bill® students, of which 494 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,438. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Appalachian State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Schools in North Carolina list.
Out of the 67 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, the fairly large public school handed out 4,857 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UNCW supports 17,915 students, and 1,216 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 833 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,750. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great veterans ranking, UNCW is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Schools in North Carolina list.
With a ranking of #6, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. Western Carolina University is a fairly large public school located in Cullowhee, North Carolina that handed out 3,000 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 12,243 students enrolled at WCU, 435 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 252 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,683. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. UNC Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4,811 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Of the 19,764 students enrolled at UNC Greensboro, 812 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 353 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,368. During this same period, 21 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
UNC Greensboro also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #8 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking. UNC Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,732 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 1,375 of the 30,146 students enrolled at UNC Charlotte were GI Bill® students, of which 842 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,564. To help with additional expenses, 14 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
UNC Charlotte also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Fayetteville State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,243 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 1,172 of the 6,726 students enrolled at Fayetteville State University were GI Bill® students, of which 566 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,052. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Campbell University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and it awarded 1,731 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Campbell supports 5,964 students, and 613 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 388 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,910. To help with additional expenses, 49 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 275 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,070 students enrolled at UNCSA, 32 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 25 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,071. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.
Read full report on University of North Carolina School of the Arts
University of North Carolina at Pembroke ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a medium-sized public school located in Pembroke, North Carolina that handed out 1,417 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 673 of the 8,262 students enrolled at UNC Pembroke were GI Bill® students, of which 263 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,967. UNC Pembroke does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read full report on University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Queens University of Charlotte ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. Queens is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 732 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 2,338 students enrolled at Queens, 111 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,761. During this same period, 9 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Queens also is in the top 20% of our Best Schools in North Carolina ranking.
North Carolina Central University landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking. North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized public school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 1,761 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 8,078 students enrolled at North Carolina Central University, 431 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 158 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,576. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. North Carolina Central University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. University of North Carolina at Asheville is a small public school located in Asheville, North Carolina that handed out 814 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UNCA supports 3,363 students, and 143 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 105 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,300. UNCA does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #16. North Carolina A & T State University is a fairly large public school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 2,412 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, NC A&T supports 12,753 students, and 765 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 302 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,822. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Carolinas College of Health Sciences landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking. Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 138 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Carolinas College of Health Sciences supports 514 students, and 17 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,148. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Winston - Salem State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,213 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 5,169 students enrolled at WSSU, 274 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 94 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,051. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Pfeiffer University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Misenheimer, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 287 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 1,185 students enrolled at Pfeiffer University, 56 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,722. To help with additional expenses, 9 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Methodist University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #20. Methodist is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 516 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 1,773 students enrolled at Methodist, 558 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 422 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,277. To help with additional expenses, 142 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Lenoir - Rhyne University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking. Located in Hickory, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 651 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 58 of the 2,686 students enrolled at Lenoir - Rhyne University were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,350. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Lenoir - Rhyne University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Gardner - Webb University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and it awarded 933 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 134 of the 3,536 students enrolled at Gardner - Webb were GI Bill® students, of which 78 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,355. During this same period, 15 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Gardner - Webb does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Fayetteville Technical Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina list. Located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the fairly large public school handed out 1,654 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, FTCC supports 10,932 students, and 2,905 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,569 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,452. On top of their other funding sources, 33 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FTCC also is in the top 20% of our Best Schools in North Carolina ranking.
Duke University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 6,686 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 288 of the 16,172 students enrolled at Duke were GI Bill® students, of which 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,322. To help with additional expenses, 115 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Duke also took the #1 spot in our Best Schools in North Carolina rankings.
Wake Technical Community College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the large public school awarded 2,837 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 21,760 students enrolled at Wake Technical Community College, 1,128 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 738 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,723. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, Wake Technical Community College also did well on our Best Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
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Best Colleges in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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