Here are the best colleges in NC, new report says. See which schools came out on top

Class is back in session and with a new school year underway, a new report ranked the top colleges in North Carolina.

As part of its annual Best College rankings, Niche released its annual list of the country’s best schools based on millions of reviews along with several metrics and statistics from the U.S. Department of Education.

For the third year in a row, Duke University was named the overall best in North Carolina— and ranked No. 13 in the U.S. among all the colleges and universities across the nation.

The private university in Durham, which was created in 1924, was highly ranked for its academics, athletics and diversity among students:

• Overall Niche grade: A+

• Academics: A+

• Diversity: A+

• Athletics: A+

• Professors: A+

• Dorms: A-

• Student life: A+

• Value: A+

• Campus: B+

• Party scene: A

• Location: B

• Campus food: A-

• Safety: B

Aside from being named the best college in the state, the university was highly rated in a few national Niche reports too:

• No. 1 best college for public policy

• No. 3 best college for public health

• No. 5 best college for student athletes

Duke wasn’t the only Triangle school named as one of the best in the state. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University also ranked among the top five in Niche’s report.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (No. 2):

• Overall Niche grade: A+

• Academics: A+

• Diversity: A

• Athletics: A+

North Carolina State University (No. 5):

• Overall Niche grade: A+

• Academics: A

• Diversity: A-

• Athletics: A

Here’s a look at which other colleges and universities were ranked among the best in the state:

2025 best colleges in North Carolina

Here’s the overall grade Niche assigned to all North Carolina schools on the list:

• Davidson College: A+
• Wake Forest University: A+
• UNC School of the Arts: A-
• UNC Charlotte: A-
• UNC Greensboro: B+
• East Carolina University: B+
• Appalachian State University: B+
• UNC Wilmington: B+
• North Carolina A&T State University: B+
• Winston-Salem State University: B+
• Western Carolina University: B+
• UNC Pembroke: B

You can find Niche’s full report of the best colleges in North Carolina online at niche.com.

This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Here are the best colleges in NC, new report says. See which schools came out on top."

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription