Best Small Colleges in North Carolina 2024

Badge for BEST IN NORTH CAROLINA SMALL COLLEGES

Published: Mar 25, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Small colleges in North Carolina are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

10 Best Small Colleges in North Carolina 2024

Davidson College
Campbell University
Meredith College
Shaw University
Queens University of Charlotte
Catawba College
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Guilford College
Warren Wilson College
Salem College

Davidson College
Winston-Salem State University
Shaw University
Campbell University
Meredith College
Guilford College
Johnson C. Smith University
Warren Wilson College
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Bennett College

Belmont Abbey College 97%
Barton College 95%
Campbell University 89%
Salem College 87%
Wingate University 86%
Greensboro College 84%
Guilford College 84%
Warren Wilson College 84%
University of Mount Olive 75%
University of North Carolina at Asheville 74%

Elizabeth City State University 16 to 1
University of Mount Olive 16 to 1
Salem College 16 to 1
Winston-Salem State University 15 to 1
Wingate University 15 to 1
Pfeiffer University 14 to 1
Barton College 13 to 1
Montreat College 13 to 1
Livingstone College 13 to 1
Campbell University 13 to 1

Davidson College $57,340
Meredith College $42,540
Guilford College $41,140
Queens University of Charlotte $40,830
Wingate University $40,806
Campbell University $39,230
Warren Wilson College $38,450
Mars Hill University $36,557
Barton College $34,400
North Carolina Wesleyan University $34,352

Warren Wilson College $20,950
Guilford College $19,200
Johnson C. Smith University $18,308
University of Mount Olive $18,300
Belmont Abbey College $16,680
Campbell University $14,417
Meredith College $13,357
Queens University of Charlotte $12,914
Mars Hill University $12,684
North Carolina Wesleyan University $12,600

Pfeiffer University
Brevard College
Barton College
North Carolina Wesleyan University
Montreat College
Livingstone College
University of Mount Olive
Mars Hill University
Elizabeth City State University
Johnson C. Smith University

North Carolina Wesleyan University
Pfeiffer University
Brevard College
Barton College
University of Mount Olive
Montreat College
Belmont Abbey College
Livingstone College
Elizabeth City State University
Greensboro College

Davidson College 17%
Johnson C. Smith University 25%
Brevard College 40%
Bennett College 45%
Shaw University 61%
Livingstone College 64%
Catawba College 67%
North Carolina Wesleyan University 68%
Montreat College 68%
Pfeiffer University 69%

Bennett College 6 to 1
Warren Wilson College 8 to 1
Queens University of Charlotte 9 to 1
Davidson College 9 to 1
Meredith College 10 to 1
Brevard College 10 to 1
Greensboro College 10 to 1
Catawba College 11 to 1
Johnson C. Smith University 11 to 1
Mars Hill University 11 to 1

Elizabeth City State University $1,000
Winston-Salem State University $3,401
University of North Carolina at Asheville $4,122
Shaw University $16,480
Livingstone College $18,296
Belmont Abbey College $18,500
Bennett College $18,550
Johnson C. Smith University $19,504
Greensboro College $19,620
University of Mount Olive $23,591

Elizabeth City State University $3,375
Catawba College $3,594
Winston-Salem State University $3,872
Greensboro College $4,308
University of North Carolina at Asheville $4,914
Salem College $8,100
Montreat College $9,963
Barton College $10,296
Shaw University $10,404
Brevard College $10,800

Key Takeaways

North Carolina has more than 60 public colleges and universities, including more than 30 fully accredited small colleges with less than 5,000 students.
North Carolina is a hub for innovation and technology. As such, colleges in North Carolina award more than 25,000 STEM degrees each year.
North Carolina has a relatively low cost of living compared to other states, which is a great benefit to students. Even better, the state has a large number of scholarships and grants available to qualifying students, which makes attending a small college in North Carolina even more affordable.

Table of Contents

Small Colleges, Big Outcomes

North Carolina is a perfect home for education excellence. The state has 53 liberal arts colleges and universities, and is home to the third biggest community college system in the US. North Carolina also has three Tier 1 research universities. Its education institution always awards more than 25,000 STEM degrees annually.

What makes North Carolina conducive to learning is the fact that students have so much to do outside the classrooms. Whether they relax on the beach, root for their favorite college or professional football team, drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, see a musical play, visit museums, or dine on exquisite cuisine, North Carolina is indeed very diverse and has so much to offer.

Paying for College in North Carolina

Like any college and university, there are several grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and other forms of financial aid for qualified students. Whether attending a liberal arts college, a small college, or a private institution, so many students have taken advantage of favorable NC tuition rates.

Federal Grants Programs

Federal Pell Grants: These are for undergraduate students who have not yet earned a degree (bachelor’s, graduate, or professional), and are in financial need.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG): These are awarded to undergraduate students who are in dire need of financial assistance. The grants are administered by the participating school’s financial aid offices. These grants are not available in all colleges, so it’s best to check first with the financial aid office of your school.

TEACH or Teacher Education Assistance for College & Higher Education Grants: These are open for qualified undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate students who want to become teachers in a high-need field or low-income areas. Students should meet certain academic requirements to be eligible.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants: This grant type is for the children of guardians or parents who perished in the military in Afghanistan or Iraq after 9/11. To qualify, a student should be under 24 and is enrolled in college at the time of the guardian/parent’s death.

North Carolina School State Grants

North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship: This grant is open to North Carolina residents who are in financial need. The student must be enrolled in an NC Community College or any of the 16 UNC system campuses.

UNC Need-Based Grant: This is open to NC students with financial needs, and must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours at any of the 16 UNC system campuses.

Scholarships

There are so many scholarships that North Carolina offers to its students. Here are just a few:

Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarship:This is a $12,000 scholarship open to graduating high school seniors from any of the 14 county areas in North Carolina. This scholarship is renewable, as long as the scholar has continued financial needs and remains a full-time student at an eligible institution.

Lenoir-Rhyne University Lutheran Scholarship: The LR Scholars Program grants eligible Lutheran students two awards: the Martin Luther Fellows and the Friends in Faith Program. These scholarships are available exclusively for undergraduate NC students who have contributions to church and community.

NACME Scholars (Block Grant) Program: This is the biggest college scholarship provider for underrepresented minority students who are pursuing degrees at schools of engineering. With a $16,000 grant for every qualified student, the NACME program sponsors 1,000 underrepresented minority engineering and computer students every year.

NIADA Foundation Regional Scholarship: The National Association of Independent Automobile Dealers offers many scholarship opportunities for exceptional high school graduating students interested to pursue a career in the automotive industry.

North Carolina Student Incentive Grant: This is a $700 incentive grant program offered by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority through College Foundation Inc.

Riding Forward Scholarship: If you have an interesting story about an African-American who has immensely inspired you, then you could earn a $3500-$5,000 college scholarship.

Colleges and Universities in North Carolina

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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

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.

What are North Carolina’s Colleges & Universities?

North Carolina’s Best Overall

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in North Carolina is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 33 small colleges in North Carolina. The list below of the 25 best small colleges in North Carolina. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

How do we determine North Carolina's best small colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! 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 in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Small Colleges in North Carolina 2023

North Carolina’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

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Best Small Colleges in North Carolina 2024

10 Best Small Colleges in North Carolina 2024

Key Takeaways

Small Colleges, Big Outcomes

Paying for College in North Carolina

Federal Grants Programs

North Carolina School State Grants

Scholarships

Colleges and Universities in North Carolina

What are North Carolina’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small Colleges in North Carolina 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Davidson College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Campbell University

Most Influential Alumni

Campbell University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Meredith College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Shaw University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Queens University of Charlotte

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Catawba College

Most Influential Alumni

Catawba College’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at University of North Carolina at Asheville

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Guilford College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Warren Wilson College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Salem College

Career Outlook for degree at Bennett College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Belmont Abbey College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Winston-Salem State University

Most Influential Alumni

Winston-Salem State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Wingate University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Greensboro College

Most Influential Alumni

Greensboro College’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Johnson C. Smith University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Elizabeth City State University

Most Influential Alumni

Elizabeth City State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Mars Hill University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Mount Olive

University of Mount Olive’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Livingstone College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Montreat College

Most Influential Alumni

Montreat College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at North Carolina Wesleyan University

Career Outlook for degree at Barton College

Most Influential Alumni

Barton College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Brevard College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Pfeiffer University

Pfeiffer University’s Online Degrees

North Carolina’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest