2025’s Best Colleges in North Carolina

With the first “early decision” college-application deadline looming on November 1, and tuition plus room and board at a four-year college costing $28,000 – $60,000 per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its reports on 2025’s Best College & University Rankings, to help college-bound seniors make the most informed school choices.

WalletHub compared over 800 higher-education institutions in the U.S. based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes. The data set ranges from student-faculty ratios to graduation rates to salaries after graduation.

Top 10 Colleges & Universities in North Carolina

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at some of the top schools and how each performed in certain metrics:

School Snapshot: Duke University (1 = Best; 15 = Average; 30 = Worst):

• 1^st – Admission Rate
• 30^th – Net Cost
• 1^st – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 13^th – On-Campus Crime
• 1^st – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 1^st – Graduation Rate
• 1^st – Post-Attendance Median Salary

School Snapshot: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1 = Best; 15 = Average; 30 = Worst):

• 3^rd – Admission Rate
• 18^th – Net Cost
• 24^th – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 14^th – On-Campus Crime
• 9^th – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 2^nd – Graduation Rate
• 3^rd – Post-Attendance Median Salary

School Snapshot: Davidson College (1 = Best; 15 = Average; 30 = Worst):

• 2^nd – Admission Rate
• 27^th – Net Cost
• 2^nd – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 8^th – On-Campus Crime
• 13^th – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 2^nd – Graduation Rate
• 2^nd – Post-Attendance Median Salary