Highest Graduation Rate Colleges in North Carolina
25 schools ranked by six-year graduation rate from federal IPEDS data. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University Durham · private | $29,612 | 96.6% | $97,800 | 5.7% |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill · public | $11,655 | 91.2% | $72,200 | 15.3% |
| 3 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem · private | $28,719 | 90.3% | $78,158 | 21.7% |
| 4 | Davidson College Davidson · private | $17,379 | 89.9% | $81,400 | 13.4% |
| 5 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh · public | $17,303 | 84.5% | $68,758 | 41.7% |
| 6 | Elon University Elon · private | $41,555 | 83.0% | $74,545 | 66.3% |
| 7 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem · public | $14,906 | 77.1% | $38,357 | 30.0% |
| 8 | Appalachian State University Boone · public | $16,836 | 74.7% | $51,836 | 90.1% |
| 9 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington · public | $20,109 | 73.8% | $54,967 | 64.2% |
| 10 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord · private | $17,618 | 72.3% | $58,708 | 23.4% |
| 11 | High Point University High Point · private | $38,707 | 69.9% | $61,389 | 75.3% |
| 12 | Meredith College Raleigh · private | $22,488 | 68.7% | $51,539 | 74.2% |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte · public | $15,435 | 67.2% | $57,289 | 79.6% |
| 14 | Montgomery Community College Troy · community | $13,832 | 66.7% | $32,742 | — |
| 15 | East Carolina University Greenville · public | $15,739 | 66.2% | $55,146 | 89.2% |
| 16 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte · private | $30,857 | 65.8% | $57,673 | 62.1% |
| 17 | North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount · private | $17,432 | 65.7% | $45,873 | 80.2% |
| 18 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee · public | $13,315 | 65.1% | $49,458 | 81.8% |
| 19 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville · public | $12,250 | 63.8% | $44,030 | 91.9% |
| 20 | Salem College Winston-Salem · private | $18,277 | 61.7% | $44,640 | 76.7% |
| 21 | Lees-McRae College Banner Elk · private | $28,340 | 61.7% | $43,415 | 76.8% |
| 22 | Wingate University Wingate · private | $20,748 | 60.1% | $52,649 | 91.1% |
| 23 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro · public | $10,965 | 58.9% | $48,160 | 88.5% |
| 24 | Chamberlain University-North Carolina Charlotte · private | $38,436 | 58.8% | $92,405 | 100.0% |
| 25 | Catawba College Salisbury · private | $17,879 | 57.8% | $48,793 | 75.2% |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.