by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in North Carolina, it can be hard to know where to start. We have ranked **55** institutions by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual reviewed 55 colleges using more than 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Here are the top-ranked colleges:
Leading the list is North Carolina State University At Raleigh, our #1 college in North Carolina. This public school is set in Raleigh, NC. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $8,799, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $59,622 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $22,113.
Out of the 55 colleges in North Carolina in this year's ranking, Carolinas College Of Health Sciences landed the #2 spot. Carolinas College Of Health Sciences is a public school based in Charlotte, NC. Students from in state pay about $18,882 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $63,608. Students borrow a median of $24,874 to complete a degree here.
Cabarrus College Of Health Sciences came in at #3 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in North Carolina. Located in Concord, NC, Cabarrus College Of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,550. Median early-career earnings reach $60,869. Students borrow a median of $24,414 to complete a degree here.
The strong outcomes at Johnson And Wales University Charlotte earned it the #4 place in North Carolina. Based in Charlotte, NC, Johnson And Wales University Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 34% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,982. Early-career graduates earn a median of $36,024. The median student debt is $25,574.
The strong outcomes at Campbell University earned it the #5 place in North Carolina. This private not-for-profit school is set in Buies Creek, NC. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. Students from in state pay about $41,600 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $54,629. Typical student debt is $23,641.
Central Piedmont Community College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Charlotte, NC, Central Piedmont Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,792, with out-of-state students paying around $8,936. Early-career graduates earn a median of $40,629. Students borrow a median of $11,861 to complete a degree here.
Wake Technical Community College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Raleigh, NC, Wake Technical Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,254, compared with $6,862 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $38,673. Wake Technical Community College students take on a median of $17,900 in debt.
Catawba Valley Community College placed #8 among the best colleges in North Carolina. Catawba Valley Community College is a public school based in Hickory, NC. Students from in state pay about $2,427 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,803 for out-of-state students. Catawba Valley Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $38,219. The median student debt is $9,842.
Gaston College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Gaston College is a public school based in Dallas, NC. In-state tuition and fees average $3,186, compared with $9,330 for out-of-state students. Gaston College graduates report median early-career earnings of $39,937. Typical student debt is $10,915.
Gardner Webb University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boiling Springs, NC. About 54% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $34,750. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $63,220. The median student debt is $25,033.
Cape Fear Community College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Cape Fear Community College is a public school based in Wilmington, NC. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,748, with out-of-state students paying around $8,892. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $42,889. The median student debt is $12,388.
Forsyth Technical Community College placed #12 among the best colleges in North Carolina. Set in Winston-Salem, NC, Forsyth Technical Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,276, compared with $6,884 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $38,094. Typical student debt is $16,374.
Durham Technical Community College landed the #13 spot in North Carolina this year. Based in Durham, NC, Durham Technical Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,240, while out-of-state students pay about $7,531. Durham Technical Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $46,293. Durham Technical Community College students take on a median of $20,408 in debt.
Johnston Community College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Johnston Community College is a public school based in Smithfield, NC. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,756, compared with $8,900 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $37,472. Typical student debt is $9,490.
Mount Olive College placed #15 among the best colleges in North Carolina. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Olive, NC. About 48% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,366. Median early-career earnings reach $45,131. Mount Olive College students take on a median of $30,798 in debt.
Montgomery Community College placed #16 among the best colleges in North Carolina. Set in Troy, NC, Montgomery Community College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,538 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,682 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $38,983 early in their careers.
Stanly Community College placed #17 among the best colleges in North Carolina. This public school is set in Albemarle, NC. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,672, while out-of-state students pay about $8,816. Stanly Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $41,920.
Randolph Community College landed the #18 spot in North Carolina this year. Located in Asheboro, NC, Randolph Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,416, with out-of-state students paying around $8,176. Early-career graduates earn a median of $32,198.
Pitt Community College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Set in Winterville, NC, Pitt Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $3,871, while out-of-state students pay about $13,087. Median early-career earnings reach $43,022. Pitt Community College students take on a median of $19,741 in debt.
Alamance Community College did well this year, earning the #20 position. Set in Graham, NC, Alamance Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,592, while out-of-state students pay about $8,736. Alamance Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $37,585. Graduates carry a median of $6,625 in student loans.
Lenoir Community College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Lenoir Community College is a public school based in Kinston, NC. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,578, compared with $8,822 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $38,736. Lenoir Community College students take on a median of $9,984 in debt.
Wayne Community College landed the #22 spot in North Carolina this year. Set in Goldsboro, NC, Wayne Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,566, with out-of-state students paying around $8,710. Median early-career earnings reach $33,116. The median student debt is $5,500.
Rowan Cabarrus Community College placed #23 among the best colleges in North Carolina. This public school is set in Salisbury, NC. Students from in state pay about $2,064 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,672. Rowan Cabarrus Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $34,351. Students borrow a median of $10,867 to complete a degree here.
Richmond Community College ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This public school is set in Hamlet, NC. Students from in state pay about $1,956 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,564 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $46,757. Students borrow a median of $8,407 to complete a degree here.
Fayetteville Technical Community College did well this year, earning the #25 position. Fayetteville Technical Community College is a public school based in Fayetteville, NC. Students from in state pay about $2,628 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,772. Graduates go on to earn a median of $40,584 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $16,909 to complete a degree here.
These colleges rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Colleges are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
See our data sources and methodologies.