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 | Watts College of Nursing Durham · private | — | 85.9% | — | — |
| 6 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh · public | $17,303 | 84.5% | $68,758 | 41.7% |
| 7 | Elon University Elon · private | $41,555 | 83.0% | $74,545 | 66.3% |
| 8 | Leons Beauty School Inc Greensboro · private | $4,799 | 79.2% | $26,958 | — |
| 9 | Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill · private | $20,736 | 78.4% | $26,873 | — |
| 10 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem · public | $14,906 | 77.1% | $38,357 | 30.0% |
| 11 | Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte · public | — | 75.6% | $64,624 | 59.9% |
| 12 | MyComputerCareer at Raleigh Raleigh · private | $26,528 | 74.7% | — | — |
| 13 | Appalachian State University Boone · public | $16,836 | 74.7% | $51,836 | 90.1% |
| 14 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington · public | $20,109 | 73.8% | $54,967 | 64.2% |
| 15 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord · private | $17,618 | 72.3% | $58,708 | 23.4% |
| 16 | High Point University High Point · private | $38,707 | 69.9% | $61,389 | 75.3% |
| 17 | Meredith College Raleigh · private | $22,488 | 68.7% | $51,539 | 74.2% |
| 18 | Southeastern College-Charlotte Charlotte · private | $30,611 | 68.3% | $31,548 | 93.7% |
| 19 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte · public | $15,435 | 67.2% | $57,289 | 79.6% |
| 20 | Montgomery Community College Troy · community | $13,832 | 66.7% | $32,742 | — |
| 21 | East Carolina University Greenville · public | $15,739 | 66.2% | $55,146 | 89.2% |
| 22 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte · private | $30,857 | 65.8% | $57,673 | 62.1% |
| 23 | North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount · private | $17,432 | 65.7% | $45,873 | 80.2% |
| 24 | Paul Mitchell the School-Fayetteville Fayetteville · private | $18,496 | 65.7% | $26,696 | — |
| 25 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee · public | $13,315 | 65.1% | $49,458 | 81.8% |
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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.