Best Online Colleges in North Carolina

The opportunities for exploration in North Carolina are endless! With three distinct regions- mountains, Piedmont, and coast- North Carolina is home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the southeastern United States.

Updated on January 19, 2023

The opportunities for exploration in North Carolina are endless! With three distinct regions- mountains, Piedmont, and coast- North Carolina is home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the southeastern United States.

From the Atlantic Ocean beaches to the Appalachian Mountains, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina is an outdoor wonderland and adventure awaits.

Research Triangle Park- the cities of Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill- is North Carolina's thriving hub of more than 170 companies. Young career professionals are populating the area and the Park is an engine of growth the economy. Since 2013, North Carolina has been a nation-wide leader in economic growth and the future looks bright!

North Carolinians' naturally warm and friendly disposition- what you'd call southern charm- will make you feel instantly welcome. Take in rich cultural traditions and art by visiting craft festivals, music, and folk art. Hospitality, southern culture, and southern football are a recipe quality lifestyle and leisure.

Combine all of these attributes and you have an amazing list of pros for choosing to study or start a career in North Carolina. Life's schedule is more hectic and demanding than ever. Distance learning programs have opened up educational opportunities to people who otherwise may not have had the time, flexibility or capital to pursue higher education. North Carolina has online colleges that make it possible to reach your educational goals without sacrificing your career or family commitments. Investing in your online education is investing in your future.

What are the best online colleges in North Carolina?

This ranking of the best online colleges in North Carolina focuses on two main factors: institutional excellence and return on investment. Institutional excellence is based on items such as graduation rate, test scores of incoming students, endowment size, and student-faculty ratio. Return on investment is another important part of college ranking because it indicates what you can expect to get out of your education. This is calculated based on annual tuition costs, average financial aid awarded, student loan debt accrued, and projected career salary for graduates. Using data provided by individual college websites, U.S. News & World Report, the following ranking has been compiled as a guide to help you compare the best online colleges in North Carolina.

Best Online Colleges in North Carolina

See our rankings methodology page.

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