State Hub

Colleges in North Carolina

CampusPin tracks 134 colleges in North Carolina, 70 universities and 64 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

134

Universities

70

Community colleges

64

Avg. in-state tuition

$14k

About college search in North Carolina

How North Carolina's higher-education landscape shapes a search

North Carolina operates one of the most coordinated public higher-education systems in the country. The University of North Carolina System runs 17 institutions including UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, East Carolina, App State, Western Carolina, UNC Wilmington, plus historically Black universities NC A&T, NC Central, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, and Winston-Salem State. The North Carolina Community College System runs 58 community colleges, one of the largest CC networks per capita in the U.S., with formalized transfer paths to the UNC System via the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement.

North Carolina is also home to two prominent private research universities: Duke (Durham) and Wake Forest (Winston-Salem). The Research Triangle (Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill) concentrates the state’s densest cluster of higher education. Charlotte is a separate growing metro with UNC Charlotte and several private and community colleges. Asheville, Greensboro, and Wilmington round out the major regional markets.

UNC System: 17 institutions

The University of North Carolina System covers research universities (Chapel Hill, NC State, Charlotte), regional comprehensives, and five historically Black universities.

58 community colleges

The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) is one of the largest CC networks per capita in the U.S. The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement formalizes transfer paths to UNC System universities.

Five public HBCUs

NC A&T (the largest HBCU in the U.S. by enrollment), NC Central, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, and Winston-Salem State are all part of the UNC System.

Duke and Wake Forest as private anchors

Duke (Durham) and Wake Forest (Winston-Salem) are the state’s two prominent private research universities.

Public university system

University of North Carolina System (17 institutions)

The UNC System coordinates 17 public universities including UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, East Carolina, App State, Western Carolina, UNC Wilmington, and the five historically Black universities.

Community college network

North Carolina Community College System (58 colleges)

NCCCS coordinates 58 community colleges with formalized transfer paths to UNC System four-year universities via the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA).

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

North Carolina’s state constitution requires the General Assembly to keep public university tuition "as far as practicable" free of expense for in-state students, in-state UNC System tuition is among the lower rates in the U.S. Out-of-state rates are substantially higher; verify residency rules directly with the institution.

Top metros for college search

Where North Carolina's higher-education density concentrates

  • Research Triangle (Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill)

    The Triangle concentrates UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke (Durham), NC State (Raleigh), NC Central (Durham), Meredith, and Wake Tech Community College.

  • Charlotte

    Charlotte anchors UNC Charlotte, Davidson (just north), Johnson C. Smith University (HBCU), Queens University, and Central Piedmont Community College.

  • Greensboro / Winston-Salem (Piedmont Triad)

    The Piedmont Triad hosts UNC Greensboro, NC A&T, Wake Forest (Winston-Salem), Winston-Salem State (HBCU), Guilford, and Elon (nearby).

  • Asheville

    Asheville is a smaller college market anchored by UNC Asheville (the public liberal-arts campus of the UNC System) and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

  • Wilmington

    Wilmington hosts UNC Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College.

  • Boone

    Boone is built around Appalachian State University (App State) in the western mountains.

What North Carolina actually costs

Median net price after grants
$14,377 for families under $30,000
$24,077 at $110,000 or more
Across 69 North Carolina colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$22,375 with 53.6% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
27% of North Carolina students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in North Carolina

Showing the 100 largest by enrollment of 134, grouped A to Z. Enrollment reflects size only and is not a measure of quality. Use search or filters to see the rest.

Filter all North Carolina schools

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South region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in North Carolina

Across North Carolina (NC), CampusPin currently indexes 134 institutions: 74 public and 60 private, split between 70 universities and 64 community colleges. Students often compare fast-growing metros, flagship publics, regional campuses, and cost-sensitive pathways across a wide mix of institutions.

Run one search for broad public options and another for community-college or commuter-oriented pathways.
Check campus setting and support services early because regional fit can vary more than names alone suggest.
Keep cost, transfer, and online flexibility visible if location is important but not completely fixed.

Browse by major

North Carolina colleges by program

Jump straight to North Carolina colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across North Carolina.

Fields with a distinct set of North Carolina colleges

120 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in North Carolina are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the North Carolina hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to North Carolina so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for North Carolina

Explore all colleges in North CarolinaView community colleges in North CarolinaView online programs in North CarolinaRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in North Carolina

Which is the public flagship university in North Carolina?
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is generally considered the state’s primary public flagship. NC State (Raleigh) is the state’s major land-grant and engineering-focused public university. Both are part of the broader UNC System.
How many HBCUs are in North Carolina?
North Carolina has 11 historically Black colleges and universities: five public (NC A&T, NC Central, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State, all part of the UNC System) and six private (including Johnson C. Smith, Bennett, Livingstone, Saint Augustine’s, Shaw, and Barber-Scotia).
How does North Carolina’s Comprehensive Articulation Agreement work?
The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) between the NC Community College System and the UNC System formalizes credit transfer and admission paths from any NC community college to any UNC System four-year university. Specific majors may have additional requirements, verify with both institutions.
Why is in-state tuition relatively low in North Carolina?
The North Carolina state constitution requires the General Assembly to keep public university tuition "as far as practicable" free of expense for in-state students. This is a structural commitment dating to the state’s 1868 constitution and reflected in current UNC System tuition policy.
What is the Research Triangle?
The Research Triangle is the Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill metro region in central North Carolina. It is anchored by three major research universities (NC State, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill) and the surrounding Research Triangle Park business district. The Triangle is the state’s densest higher-education cluster.
How many North Carolina colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
14 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 144 North Carolina schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 27: 14 came off and 1 was added. Every one is named in the North Carolina section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many North Carolina colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 4 of the 69 North Carolina colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $14,377. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 7 (median $16,785). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a North Carolina search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in North Carolina

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with North Carolina in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes North Carolina.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore North Carolina

More ways to explore North Carolina colleges

By city

Colleges in North Carolina cities

CampusPin publishes a directory for 5 cities in North Carolina, every one where federal data reports at least five colleges.

Browse colleges by city nationwide

What this count of 134 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for North Carolina, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
70 listed as universities and 64 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
74 public and 60 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for North Carolina are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in North Carolina. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/north-carolina