North Carolina Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in North Carolina for 2024

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in North Carolina. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is Duke University which sent acceptance letters to only 6% of the 50,016 students who applied and rejected 94%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore rankings of North Carolina colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
North Carolina Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

11 results

Duke University
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D
Durham, NC

Duke University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

6% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in America

  • 18,023enrollment
  • $23,694net price
  • 1490-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.94Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

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Davidson College
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D
Davidson, NC

Davidson College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

17% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Colleges in North Carolina

  • 1,927enrollment
  • $26,704net price
  • 1350-1500SAT range
  • 31-33ACT range
  • 3.81Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 7

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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N
Chapel Hill, NC

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

17% Acceptance Rate

#16 Best Value Colleges in America

  • 31,705enrollment
  • $10,614net price
  • 1350-1530SAT range
  • 30-34ACT range
  • 3.83Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Wake Forest University
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W
Winston Salem, NC

Wake Forest University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

21% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 8,963enrollment
  • $26,197net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Piedmont International University
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P
Winston Salem, NC
 

Piedmont International University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 691enrollment
  • $15,119net price
  • 770-1230SAT range
  • 15-23ACT range
  • 3.07Estimated Avg GPA

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Johnson C Smith University
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J
HBCU
Charlotte, NC

Johnson C Smith University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

25% Acceptance Rate

#18 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina

  • 1,093enrollment
  • $20,045net price
  • 800-980SAT range
  • 13-18ACT range
  • 2.48Avg GPA

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University of North Carolina School of the Arts
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N
Winston-Salem, NC

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

32% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 1,104enrollment
  • $11,251net price
  • 1115-1350SAT range
  • 22-30ACT range
  • 3.75Avg GPA

Applications Due Mar 15

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Brevard College
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B
Brevard, NC

Brevard College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 759enrollment
  • $24,220net price
  • 965-1155SAT range
  • 18-23ACT range
  • 3.07Avg GPA

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Bennett College for Women
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B
HBCU
Greensboro, NC

Bennett College for Women

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 168enrollment
  • $20,545net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.74Estimated Avg GPA

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Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
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C
Concord, NC
 

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 528enrollment
  • $17,217net price
  • 945-1075SAT range
  • 20-24ACT range
  • 3.21Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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North Carolina State University at Raleigh
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N
Raleigh, NC

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

47% Acceptance Rate

#22 Best Public Universities in America

  • 36,700enrollment
  • $14,852net price
  • 1280-1460SAT range
  • 28-33ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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