Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in North Carolina provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.
Among these schools are over 60 public colleges and universities, including the state’s largest school, North Carolina State University, which serves almost 30,000 students. Tuition costs average about $9,000, just below the national average, and students also have the option to enroll in over 1,000 online courses. Another notable public school is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is one of the country’s oldest universities.
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The 25,000 students who attend UNC will walk the same halls as Francis Collins, Thomas Wolfe, and former president James K. Polk. North Carolina’s private schools have also made a name for themselves, including the well-known Duke University located in Durham. Here, students can earn degrees in some of the top programs, like nursing, political science, and business. Additionally, students can attend one of the many small schools which serve less than 5,000 students, like Campbell University in Buies Creek, or a religiously affiliated school, like Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City.
From its coastal beaches to its lush forests, it’s no wonder the Wright Brothers dreamed of taking flight over North Carolina. This state is rich with history, scenic views, and famous people who once called it home, like John Coltrane and Nicholas Sparks. Students hoping to earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree also have the option of choosing from over 100 schools in the Tar Heel State.
Whether you prefer ocean views or wooded forests, North Carolina has something for everyone. Discover more about the state’s higher learning options.
Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models — one is a private company with private funding; the other is owned by the state and receives both state and federal funding to operate. If you’re weighing the pros and cons of private vs. public college, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.
Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a four-year degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a four-year public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually.
This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 15 public universities in North Carolina; 9 of which meet our criteria. The list below of the best public universities in the state satisfies the following four conditions:
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call “Concentrated Influence”. Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.
Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.
If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence.
Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
25%
Graduation
91%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1405/30
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
46%
Graduation
84%
Student body
31K
Median SAT/ACT
1335/29
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North Carolina State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
73%
Student body
19K
Median SAT/ACT
1185/25
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Appalachian State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
65%
Student body
28K
Median SAT/ACT
1205/24
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
65%
Student body
24K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/22
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East Carolina University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
59%
Student body
18K
Median SAT/ACT
1095/22
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
62%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1180/24
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University of North Carolina at Asheville’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Acceptance
48%
Graduation
64%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1110/22
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Western Carolina University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
74%
Student body
16K
Median SAT/ACT
1245/24
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University of North Carolina Wilmington’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
52%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
970/18
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North Carolina Central University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
52%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1060/19
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North Carolina A&T State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
50%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
960/17
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Winston-Salem State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
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