North Carolina Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 74 public colleges in North Carolina with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. North Carolina State University at Raleigh leads the list with a population of 38,464 students.

Enrollment is a measure of the size of the student body. Larger schools are more likely to offer a wider range of programs and services while smaller schools may have a more intimate and personalized experience.

List of North Carolina Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College Enrollment

Raleigh, North Carolina

 38,464

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

 32,438

Charlotte, North Carolina

 31,091

Greenville, North Carolina

 26,940

Raleigh, North Carolina

 24,609

Boone, North Carolina

 21,570

Charlotte, North Carolina

 20,375

Wilmington, North Carolina

 18,848

Greensboro, North Carolina

 18,012

Greensboro, North Carolina

 14,311

Wilmington, North Carolina

 14,082

Fayetteville, North Carolina

 11,755

Cullowhee, North Carolina

 11,686

Jamestown, North Carolina

 11,485

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

 9,099

Durham, North Carolina

 8,579

Winterville, North Carolina

 7,684

Pembroke, North Carolina

 7,674
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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.