2026 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

Name: 2026 Best Public Universities in North Carolina (Kollegio college rankings)
Creator: Kollegio
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

16 North Carolina schools ranked in Kollegio's 2026 Best Public Universities ranking, based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.

Showing 1–16 of 16 colleges · How we rank colleges

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Cost of attendance after aid

ⓘ

$77,180

Institution type

2 Year4 Year5 Year

Field of study

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Campus Detail

Institution setting

AllCitySuburbanRural

Undergraduate enrollment

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268763

Financial

Alumni starting salary

Tuition cost

ⓘ

$67,000

In-state tuition

ⓘ

Proportion of need based aid received

ⓘ

100%Clear Filter

International students received aid

ⓘ

100%

Average aid package

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$82,308

Application fee

ⓘ

$150

Academics

Mean GPA

ⓘ

Mean SAT

ⓘ

1200

Mean ACT

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#1 Best Public Universities

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

Acceptance rate

15.3%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$7,019

Avg. Cost after Aid

$12,000

#2 Best Public Universities

North Carolina State University

Raleigh

Acceptance rate

39.9%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$6,535

Avg. Cost after Aid

$14,000

#3 Best Public Universities

University of North Carolina - Charlotte

Charlotte

Acceptance rate

79.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$3,812

Avg. Cost after Aid

$16,000

#4 Best Public Universities

Appalachian State University

Boone

Acceptance rate

88.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,242

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#5 Best Public Universities

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem

Acceptance rate

33.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$6,497

Avg. Cost after Aid

$12,372

#6 Best Public Universities

University of North Carolina - Wilmington

Wilmington

Acceptance rate

64.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,443

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#7 Best Public Universities

East Carolina University

Greenville

Acceptance rate

90.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,452

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,000

#8 Best Public Universities

University of North Carolina - Greensboro

Greensboro

Acceptance rate

88.5%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$4,422

Avg. Cost after Aid

$10,000

#9 Best Public Universities

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee

Acceptance rate

86.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$1,000

Avg. Cost after Aid

$12,579

#10 Best Public Universities

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Greensboro

Acceptance rate

46.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$3,540

Avg. Cost after Aid

$9,000

#11 Best Public Universities

University of North Carolina Asheville

Asheville

Acceptance rate

93.9%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$4,122

Avg. Cost after Aid

$14,000

#12 Best Public Universities

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City

Acceptance rate

70.5%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$1,000

Avg. Cost after Aid

$4,000

#13 Best Public Universities

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville

Acceptance rate

79.9%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$2,982

Avg. Cost after Aid

$7,000

#14 Best Public Universities

Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem

Acceptance rate

68.5%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$3,401

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#15 Best Public Universities

University of North Carolina--Pembroke

Pembroke

Acceptance rate

93.3%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$1,000

Avg. Cost after Aid

$11,000

#16 Best Public Universities

North Carolina Central University

Durham

Acceptance rate

90.5%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$3,728

Avg. Cost after Aid

$14,000

2026 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

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