Top Universities in North Carolina

North Carolina has one of the strongest higher education ecosystems in the Southeast, anchored by the Research Triangle and the UNC System's flagship institutions.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The oldest public university in the United States (1789) and the flagship of the UNC System. UNC is particularly strong in public health (the Gillings School is the #1-ranked public health school in the US), journalism (the Hussman School), and medicine (UNC Health). The campus — with its brick colonial buildings and the old well landmark — is one of the most beautiful in the country. Tar Heel basketball has a national following.

Duke University (Durham)
A private research university consistently ranked among the top 10 in the US. Duke is particularly strong in medicine (Duke University Hospital is a major academic medical center), law, environmental science, and public policy. The Gothic-style Duke Chapel and the Cameron Indoor Stadium (famous for its passionate basketball atmosphere) are icons of the campus.

NC State University (Raleigh)
The state's land-grant university and the anchor of Research Triangle Park's engineering and technology workforce pipeline. NC State is particularly strong in engineering, textile science, agriculture, and veterinary medicine. The Centennial Campus is a public-private research corridor that has attracted major technology companies including Cisco, IBM, and SAS Institute.

Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem)
A smaller private research university with a strong medical school and a well-regarded business school (Babcock School). Wake Forest's undergraduate experience is intimate and well-funded; the school consistently places graduates in graduate and professional programs at top institutions.

Davidson College and Elon University are well-regarded liberal arts institutions. The Research Triangle — Duke, UNC, and NC State within 30 miles of each other — creates one of the most intellectually productive academic clusters in the country.