If you tune into March Madness, then you're certainly familiar with at least a few of North Carolina's historic colleges. But there's much more to the state—and to university life—than basketball.
So if you're considering coming to North Carolina for college, or if you're a native of the state, let's review a little bit of what makes North Carolina great.
Besides college basketball, the state is home to a number of other great attractions for sports fans, including professional franchises in the NFL, NBA, and NHL, not to mention Charlotte Motor Speedway and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Culture in the state isn't confined to sports, of course. Musical icons John Coltrane, Theolonious Monk, and James Taylor all hail from the state. And Southern Living recently named Durham–Chapel Hill the south's "Tastiest City."
Clearly, there's something for everyone, and all different tastes.
But what about college? Well, you're in luck. From large, public research universities to small, liberal arts colleges to everything in between, North Carolina offers a high-quality education for all different kinds of interests. For more information about the Top Online Colleges in North Carolina, see our ranking. With some luck and some work at networking, when you graduate you might be able to tap into networks in Charlotte, the country's second-biggest financial center, or the Research Triangle, where some of the world's most innovative technology is being developed. If any of this sounds attractive, then you should certainly check out our list.
Accredited Online College Programs
Explore our featured online programs and find the right match for you today.
What Are the Best Colleges in North Carolina?
On to the rankings – but first, a word about our methodology. We've ranked the best colleges in North Carolina by looking at academic quality, student body diversity, and return on investment. That way, you know not only that you're getting a great education, but that you're getting one that will significantly improve your career prospects. Our data takes into account a whole host of data points, including student-to-faculty ratio, opportunity for research, tuition rates, and expected early career salary. All of this data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics and their IPEDS database.
Rankings
See our rankings methodology page.
