Colleges in North Carolina: Costs, Admission Rates & Salaries
151 institutions tracked in North Carolina. Average net price across the state is $14,175/year, the average admission rate is 68%, and the strongest graduate earnings reach $113,937. The largest 100 colleges are listed below with real College Scorecard data.
| College | City | Size | Acceptance | Net price | Salary (10yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | 20,752 | 15% | $11,305 | $81,094 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville | 19,896 | 89% | $16,880 | $60,387 |
| Wake Technical Community College | Raleigh | 19,675 | — | $6,738 | $45,936 |
| Appalachian State University | Boone | 19,444 | 90% | $16,082 | $57,488 |
| Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte | 15,067 | — | $1,741 | $43,413 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | 14,922 | 64% | $19,570 | $61,019 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | 14,062 | 89% | $12,291 | $53,402 |
| North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro | 12,182 | 50% | $9,884 | $50,279 |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | 10,024 | 82% | $13,025 | $53,764 |
| Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington | 9,764 | — | $6,156 | $41,969 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville | 9,471 | — | $3,428 | $37,067 |
| Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown | 9,260 | — | $17,020 | $38,309 |
| Forsyth Technical Community College | Winston-Salem | 7,113 | — | $2,937 | $40,074 |
| Elon University | Elon | 6,452 | 66% | $35,785 | $82,524 |
| Duke University | Durham | 6,442 | 6% | $23,706 | $113,937 |
| North Carolina Central University | Durham | 6,081 | 87% | $16,708 | $46,956 |
| Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville | 5,762 | 82% | $8,500 | $47,125 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | 5,485 | 22% | $28,165 | $104,443 |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke | 5,330 | 93% | $10,522 | $48,029 |
| Pitt Community College | Winterville | 5,317 | — | $6,663 | $40,921 |
| High Point University | High Point | 5,129 | 75% | $41,019 | $73,547 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | Asheville | 5,110 | — | $8,652 | $41,307 |
| Winston-Salem State University | Winston-Salem | 4,170 | 78% | $12,817 | $52,558 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | Salisbury | 4,164 | — | $10,333 | $40,125 |
| Durham Technical Community College | Durham | 3,890 | — | $3,152 | $40,827 |
| Gaston College | Dallas | 3,518 | — | $3,981 | $39,978 |
| Johnston Community College | Smithfield | 3,453 | — | $5,459 | $41,366 |
| Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | 3,237 | — | $5,828 | $37,196 |
| Alamance Community College | Graham | 3,080 | — | $3,402 | $39,210 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | Asheville | 2,910 | 92% | $14,999 | $50,562 |
| Catawba Valley Community College | Hickory | 2,741 | — | $6,463 | $41,272 |
| Wayne Community College | Goldsboro | 2,739 | — | $2,093 | $40,597 |
| Coastal Carolina Community College | Jacksonville | 2,724 | — | $9,584 | $43,014 |
| Campbell University | Buies Creek | 2,680 | 87% | $25,057 | $59,026 |
| Strayer University-North Carolina | Greensboro | 2,671 | — | $18,695 | $44,016 |
| Wingate University | Wingate | 2,668 | 91% | $21,511 | $57,646 |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | Thomasville | 2,633 | — | $1,413 | $40,355 |
| Sandhills Community College | Pinehurst | 2,539 | — | $6,345 | $36,323 |
| Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute | Hudson | 2,393 | — | — | $37,836 |
| College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City | 2,001 | — | $2,323 | $33,906 |
| Craven Community College | New Bern | 1,989 | — | $2,384 | $40,874 |
| Elizabeth City State University | Elizabeth City | 1,975 | 64% | $8,048 | $44,614 |
| Mitchell Community College | Statesville | 1,948 | — | $5,250 | $37,865 |
| Davidson College | Davidson | 1,867 | 13% | $15,060 | $89,297 |
| Gardner-Webb University | Boiling Springs | 1,856 | 77% | $21,150 | $53,543 |
| South Piedmont Community College | Polkton | 1,833 | — | $5,447 | $41,776 |
| University of Mount Olive | Mount Olive | 1,796 | 76% | $18,927 | $54,851 |
| Blue Ridge Community College | Flat Rock | 1,758 | — | $4,341 | $38,902 |
| Nash Community College | Rocky Mount | 1,689 | — | $2,638 | $41,296 |
| Vance-Granville Community College | Henderson | 1,665 | — | $2,806 | $38,697 |
| Robeson Community College | Lumberton | 1,551 | — | $4,502 | $34,428 |
| Surry Community College | Dobson | 1,475 | — | $417 | $39,923 |
| Lenoir Community College | Kinston | 1,469 | — | $7,947 | $37,606 |
| MyComputerCareer at Raleigh | Raleigh | 1,466 | — | $27,803 | $71,353 |
| Stanly Community College | Albemarle | 1,465 | — | $4,910 | $40,175 |
| Methodist University | Fayetteville | 1,448 | 75% | $25,760 | $54,558 |
| Randolph Community College | Asheboro | 1,417 | — | $6,669 | $38,056 |
| Edgecombe Community College | Tarboro | 1,397 | — | $1,939 | $36,064 |
| Wilson Community College | Wilson | 1,373 | — | $6,021 | $38,881 |
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | Hickory | 1,359 | 85% | $18,641 | $54,752 |
| Wilkes Community College | Wilkesboro | 1,355 | — | — | $40,188 |
| Richmond Community College | Hamlet | 1,352 | — | — | $36,318 |
| Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville | Mooresville | 1,345 | — | $27,151 | $62,466 |
| Western Piedmont Community College | Morganton | 1,339 | — | $3,726 | $37,927 |
| Belmont Abbey College | Belmont | 1,276 | 75% | $25,416 | $53,850 |
| Southwestern Community College | Sylva | 1,249 | — | $11,865 | $39,394 |
| Johnson C Smith University | Charlotte | 1,244 | 45% | $21,397 | $44,849 |
| Catawba College | Salisbury | 1,235 | 75% | $15,993 | $52,260 |
| North Carolina Wesleyan University | Rocky Mount | 1,214 | 80% | $20,318 | $49,264 |
| Brunswick Community College | Bolivia | 1,211 | — | $9,193 | $39,051 |
| Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte | 1,211 | 62% | $29,421 | $58,736 |
| Meredith College | Raleigh | 1,188 | 74% | $22,801 | $54,417 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | Charlotte | 1,184 | 80% | $26,258 | $53,928 |
| Carteret Community College | Morehead City | 1,172 | — | $9,817 | $36,104 |
| Isothermal Community College | Spindale | 1,169 | — | $10,918 | $36,543 |
| Cleveland Community College | Shelby | 1,097 | — | $685 | $37,128 |
| Beaufort County Community College | Washington | 1,074 | — | $6,932 | $36,400 |
| Rockingham Community College | Wentworth | 1,065 | — | $2,457 | $38,209 |
| Mars Hill University | Mars Hill | 1,044 | 68% | $20,442 | $48,185 |
| Bladen Community College | Dublin | 1,030 | — | $12,951 | $34,309 |
| Guilford College | Greensboro | 1,001 | 80% | $22,813 | $52,803 |
| Barton College | Wilson | 982 | 94% | $24,367 | $52,876 |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts | Winston Salem | 945 | 30% | $14,859 | $46,097 |
| Livingstone College | Salisbury | 924 | 59% | $17,026 | $38,502 |
| Shaw University | Raleigh | 875 | 80% | $24,242 | $38,822 |
| Lees-McRae College | Banner Elk | 873 | 77% | $28,253 | $52,058 |
| Montgomery Community College | Troy | 852 | — | $10,936 | $39,045 |
| Haywood Community College | Clyde | 849 | — | — | $39,851 |
| Sampson Community College | Clinton | 846 | — | $7,561 | $37,005 |
| Southeastern Community College | Whiteville | 820 | — | $4,352 | $35,037 |
| Brevard College | Brevard | 815 | 42% | $25,617 | $49,182 |
| James Sprunt Community College | Kenansville | 799 | — | $1,859 | $33,682 |
| Montreat College | Montreat | 762 | 69% | $25,095 | $53,114 |
| Halifax Community College | Weldon | 723 | — | — | $35,504 |
| Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | Concord | 712 | 23% | $16,171 | $62,982 |
| Greensboro College | Greensboro | 708 | 70% | $18,187 | $50,121 |
| Warren Wilson College | Swannanoa | 707 | 71% | $23,319 | $39,685 |
| William Peace University | Raleigh | 666 | 94% | $23,002 | $47,869 |
| Pfeiffer University | Misenheimer | 655 | 96% | $22,696 | $54,743 |
| McDowell Technical Community College | Marion | 608 | — | $5,562 | $36,207 |
Choosing a college in North Carolina
Start with net price rather than sticker tuition, then compare graduate earnings in your intended field. In-state public universities usually offer the lowest net price for state residents; private institutions can compete through generous aid packages. Use the College Finder to filter by your annual budget, or model the payoff in the Degree ROI Simulator.