College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Colleges for Registered Nursing in North Carolina

88 Ranked Colleges
6,685 Degrees Awarded
$24,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 266,651 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, registered nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States.

Across North Carolina, there were 6,685 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina” ranking, we looked at 88 colleges that offer a degree in registered nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular registered nursing programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Registered Nursing Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Registered Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina registered nursing students.

1

Out of the 88 schools in the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #1 spot on the list. UNCW is located in Wilmington, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 782 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UNCW Registered Nursing Report

2
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Carolina University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Greenville, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 423 students in 2020-2021.

Full ECU Registered Nursing Report

3
WSSU crest
Winston - Salem State University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Out of the 88 schools in the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Winston - Salem State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 262 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Full WSSU Registered Nursing Report

4
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Fayetteville State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It awarded 220 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Fayetteville State University

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 218 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Registered Nursing Report

6
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

With a ranking of #6, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Western Carolina University is a fairly large school located in Cullowhee, North Carolina that handed out 212 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Registered Nursing at WCU

7

With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. UNC Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at UNC Charlotte

8
Gardner - Webb crest
Gardner - Webb University
Boiling Springs, North Carolina

Gardner - Webb University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking. This small school is located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and it awarded 153 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Gardner - Webb University

9
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #9, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 152 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Appalachian State University

10
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 147 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Duke

11
Queens crest
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina

Queens University of Charlotte ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 138 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Queens Registered Nursing Report

12
Carolinas College of Health Sciences crest
Carolinas College of Health Sciences
Charlotte, North Carolina

Carolinas College of Health Sciences did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #12. Carolinas College of Health Sciences is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 135 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Carolinas College of Health Sciences

13
Wake Technical Community College crest
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, North Carolina

Wake Technical Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking. Wake Technical Community College is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Wake Technical Community College

14
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Forsyth Technical Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized public school handed out 115 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Forsyth Technical Community College

15
Pitt Community College crest
Pitt Community College
Winterville, North Carolina

Pitt Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking. Pitt Community College is a public institution located in Winterville, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 113 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Pitt Community College

16

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #16. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 106 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at UNC Chapel Hill

17

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. A-B Tech is a medium-sized school located in Asheville, North Carolina that handed out 102 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Full A-B Tech Registered Nursing Report

17
Central Piedmont Community College crest
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, North Carolina

With a ranking of #17, Central Piedmont Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 102 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Central Piedmont Community College

19

With a ranking of #19, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Pembroke, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 99 students in 2020-2021.

Full University of North Carolina at Pembroke Registered Nursing Report

20

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #20. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Concord, North Carolina. It awarded 93 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

21
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College crest
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Salisbury, North Carolina

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a medium-sized school located in Salisbury, North Carolina that handed out 88 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

22
DCCC crest
Davidson County Community College
Thomasville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #22, Davidson County Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Located in Thomasville, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 81 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

Full Davidson County Community College Registered Nursing Report

23
North Carolina Central University crest
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. This medium-sized school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 80 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Full North Carolina Central University Registered Nursing Report

24
Gaston College crest
Gaston College
Dallas, North Carolina

Gaston College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina ranking. Dallas, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 485 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Gaston College

25
CFCC crest
Cape Fear Community College
Wilmington, North Carolina

Cape Fear Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in North Carolina list. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 69 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Cape Fear Community College

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options