The Best North Carolina Big Colleges

The Best Large Colleges in North Carolina for 2025

These are the top ranked large, public and private, four-year colleges in North Carolina as ranked by CollegeSimply. These schools all have undergraduate enrollment over 15,000. Leading the list for 2025 is Duke University. Learn how the Best Large Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.


8 results

Duke University
D
Durham, NC

Duke University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

#3 Best Colleges in America

  • 17,112enrollment
  • $23,422net price
  • 7%acceptance rate
  • 1510-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.94Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

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

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

#2 Best Public Universities in America

  • 32,234enrollment
  • $11,140net price
  • 19%acceptance rate
  • 1370-1530SAT range
  • 30-34ACT range
  • 3.83Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

North Carolina State University at Raleigh
N
Raleigh, NC

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

#20 Best Public Universities in America

  • 37,323enrollment
  • $14,860net price
  • 40%acceptance rate
  • 1300-1460SAT range
  • 28-32ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

University of North Carolina at Wilmington
N
Wilmington, NC

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Public 4 Year

5 reviews

#4 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 17,987enrollment
  • $18,606net price
  • 74%acceptance rate
  • 1220-1360SAT range
  • 24-28ACT range
  • 3.56Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

University of North Carolina at Charlotte
N
Charlotte, NC

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

#6 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 30,298enrollment
  • $13,768net price
  • 80%acceptance rate
  • 1110-1320SAT range
  • 21-27ACT range
  • 3.57Avg GPA

Applications Due Jun 1

East Carolina University
E
Greenville, NC

East Carolina University

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

#7 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 26,785enrollment
  • $14,470net price
  • 90%acceptance rate
  • 1050-1200SAT range
  • 20-26ACT range
  • 3.33Avg GPA

Appalachian State University
A
Boone, NC

Appalachian State University

Public 4 Year

7 reviews

#8 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 21,253enrollment
  • $14,712net price
  • 89%acceptance rate
  • 1100-1280SAT range
  • 21-27ACT range
  • 3.96Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

University of North Carolina at Greensboro
N
Greensboro, NC

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

#9 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

  • 17,743enrollment
  • $10,592net price
  • 90%acceptance rate
  • 1100-1280SAT range
  • 22-27ACT range
  • 3.59Avg GPA

Applications Due Mar 1