North Carolina’s Best Research Universities of 2021
Interested in attending a STEM school in North Carolina? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.
Colleges and Universities in North Carolina
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.
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. The 25,000 students who attend this school 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.
Whether you prefer ocean views or wooded forests, North Carolina has something for everyone. Discover more about the state’s higher learning options.
What are North Carolina’s Colleges & Universities?
- 13 Research Universities
- 36 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 16 Graduate Schools
- 15 Public Colleges & Universities
- 34 Private Colleges & Universities
- 26 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 33 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 16 Affordable Colleges (below 16,000k/yr)
- 47 Community Colleges
North Carolina’s Best Overall
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. There are 13 research universities in North Carolina, 11 of which meet our criteria. The list below of the best research universities in the state satisfies the following four conditions:
- It must be a fully accredited university.
- It must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
- It must report high levels of research activity based upon the number of research and/or practice doctorates awarded each year.
- It must have a graduation rate of greater than 50%.
How do we determine North Carolina's best colleges and universities?
The best colleges pound for pound!
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.
Find out more about our ranking methodology here.
Best Research Universities in North Carolina for Undergraduates
- #1Duke University#31 institution's overall influence#12 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
95%
Student body
15K
Median SAT/ACT
1510/34
Durham, NCView profile
What is Duke University known for?
Duke University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
- Earth Sciences
- Medical
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Law
- Philosophy
- Biology
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill#75 institution's overall influence#38 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
23%
Graduation
91%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1375/31
Chapel Hill, NCView profile
What is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill known for?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- History
- Law
- Political Science
- Business
- Communications
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Nursing
- Religious Studies
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #3Wake Forest University#474 institution's overall influence#48 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
88%
Student body
7K
Winston-Salem, NCView profile
What is Wake Forest University known for?
Wake Forest University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Medical
- Business
- Law
- History
- Literature
- Communications
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Education
- Engineering
Most Influential Alumni
- #4North Carolina State University#196 institution's overall influence#176 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
47%
Graduation
78%
Student body
30K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/29
Raleigh, NCView profile
What is North Carolina State University known for?
North Carolina State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Physics
- Biology
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Business
- History
- Economics
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #5University of North Carolina at Charlotte#818 institution's overall influence#1385 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
57%
Student body
26K
Median SAT/ACT
1195/24
Charlotte, NCView profile
What is University of North Carolina at Charlotte known for?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Religious Studies
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Sociology
- History
- Psychology
- Economics
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #6Elon University#1815 institution's overall influence#1234 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
82%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1240/27
Elon, NCView profile
What is Elon University known for?
Elon University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Communications
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
- History
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Political Science
- Business
- Law
- Chemistry
Most Influential Alumni
- #7East Carolina University#765 institution's overall influence#1186 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
61%
Student body
26K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/22
Greenville, NCView profile
What is East Carolina University known for?
East Carolina University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Medical
- Social Work
- History
- Political Science
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Psychology
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #8University of North Carolina at Greensboro#712 institution's overall influence#1364 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
54%
Student body
18K
Median SAT/ACT
1075/22
Greensboro, NCView profile
What is University of North Carolina at Greensboro known for?
University of North Carolina at Greensboro's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Literature
- Sociology
- Education
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Biology
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #9Campbell University#1825 institution's overall influence#486 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
55%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1120/22
Buies Creek, NCView profile
What is Campbell University known for?
Campbell University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Law
- History
- Economics
- Engineering
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Social Work
- Medical
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #10University of North Carolina Wilmington#2329 institution's overall influence#1260 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
72%
Student body
15K
Median SAT/ACT
1255/25
Wilmington, NCView profile
What is University of North Carolina Wilmington known for?
University of North Carolina Wilmington's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Computer Science
- History
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Literature
- Sociology
Most Influential Alumni
- #11Wingate University#7478 institution's overall influence#1100 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
54%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1075/21
Wingate, NCView profile
What is Wingate University known for?
Wingate University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
- Education
- Communications
- History
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
Find the Best Research Universities in North Carolina for your Major
Resources for College-Bound Students
- Guide to Applying for College
- How to Apply for Grad School
- Guide to Paying for College
- Guide to Financial Aid in HigherEd
- Guide to Scholarships for College and Grad School
- College & University Accreditation Guide
- Guide to Surviving College
- Guide to College for International Students
- Guide to College Study Skills
