North Carolina’s Best Small Colleges of 2021
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.
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.
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 16,000,000/year)
- 47 Community Colleges
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). There are 33 small colleges in North Carolina; 13 of which meet our criteria. The list below of the best small colleges in the state satisfies the following four conditions:
- It must be a non-profit institution.
- It must be fully accredited.
- Its student body must consist of 5,000 or fewer students.
- Its graduation rate must be greater than 50%.
How do we determine North Carolina's best small 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.
Best Small Colleges in North Carolina
- #1Davidson College#865 institution's overall influence#36 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$51K
Acceptance
19%
Graduation
93%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1370/31
Davidson, NCView profile
What is Davidson College known for?
Davidson College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Political Science
- Physics
- Literature
- Psychology
- History
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Biology
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #2Guilford College#1302 institution's overall influence#343 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
61%
Student body
2K
Greensboro, NCView profile
What is Guilford College known for?
Guilford College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Business
- Computer Science
- Philosophy
- Biology
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #3Warren Wilson College#2649 institution's overall influence#374 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
51%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1212/24
Swannanoa, NCView profile
What is Warren Wilson College known for?
Warren Wilson College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Biology
- Sociology
- History
- Social Work
Most Influential Alumni
- #4Queens University of Charlotte#2308 institution's overall influence#431 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
53%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1125/23
Charlotte, NCView profile
What is Queens University of Charlotte known for?
Queens University of Charlotte's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Nursing
- Biology
- History
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #5Catawba College#3021 institution's overall influence#893 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
52%
Graduation
52%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1025/21
Salisbury, NCView profile
What is Catawba College known for?
Catawba College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
- Religious Studies
- Political Science
- History
- Communications
- Education
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #6Johnson C. Smith University#2219 institution's overall influence#570 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
46%
Graduation
51%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
895/16
Charlotte, NCView profile
What is Johnson C. Smith University known for?
Johnson C. Smith University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Mathematics
- Sociology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Political Science
- Communications
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #7Campbell 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
- #8Salem College#2756 institution's overall influence#989 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
57%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/24
Winston-Salem, NCView profile
What is Salem College known for?
Salem College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Economics
- Sociology
- Communications
- History
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
Most Influential Alumni
- #9University of North Carolina at Asheville#2929 institution's overall influence#555 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
62%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/24
Asheville, NCView profile
What is University of North Carolina at Asheville known for?
University of North Carolina at Asheville's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Sociology
- History
- Religious Studies
- Engineering
- Anthropology
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #10Meredith College#2967 institution's overall influence#1109 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
61%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/22
Raleigh, NCView profile
What is Meredith College known for?
Meredith College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Mathematics
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Education
- Computer Science
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Business
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #11Barton College#2904 institution's overall influence#1425 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
40%
Graduation
52%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/20
Wilson, NCView profile
What is Barton College known for?
Barton College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Business
- Chemistry
- Medical
- History
- Communications
- Social Work
- Education
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
Most Influential Alumni
- #12Wingate 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
- #13University of Mount Olive#8555 institution's overall influence#1147 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
51%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1017/19
Mount Olive, NCView profile
What is University of Mount Olive known for?
University of Mount Olive's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- History
- Education
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
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