Here are the top colleges and universities in North Carolina for 2026, according to new study

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – How does your alma mater compare to the best colleges and universities across the state? One recent study aimed to answer that question by putting each school to the test.

The personal finance company WalletHub released its 2026 rankings for the best colleges and universities throughout the country on Monday, with multiple schools based in North Carolina making appearances.

Duke University topped the list and appeared at the No. 15 spot in the U.S. rankings. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill slightly trails in second place for in-state schools, as well as popping up at No. 47 in the nationwide rankings.

Davidson College (No. 73), Wake Forest University (No. 80) and North Carolina State University (No. 89) rounded out the state’s top five schools.

To determine the top-performing schools at the lowest possible costs to undergraduates, researchers said they compared nearly 800 higher-education institutions nationwide across 30 key measures. The data set is grouped into seven categories, such as student selectivity, cost and financing, as well as career outcomes. The metrics range from student-faculty ratio to graduation rate to post-attendance median salary.

“In general, universities tend to rank higher than colleges due to their inclusion of graduate-level programs, greater on-campus opportunities and higher earnings for students’ post-graduation,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “In fact, the top 10 places for higher education in the U.S. are all universities. There are still tons of high-ranking colleges, though, which offer their own advantages like smaller class sizes, more personalized learning and often safer campuses.”

WalletHub also analyzed post-attendance metrics, such as the student-loan default rate and the share of former students outearning high school graduates, to show the value of the education students can expect to receive beyond their undergraduate studies.

Check the entire list of North Carolina colleges and universities and their respective rankings below:

Top 10 colleges and universities in North Carolina for 2026, according to WalletHub

State Rank	National Rank	Percentile	University/College	Total Score
1	15	98	Duke University	75.66
2	47	94	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	71.84
3	73	91	Davidson College	68.49
4	80	90	Wake Forest University	67.5
5	89	89	North Carolina State University	66.81
6	232	71	Queens University of Charlotte	59.38
7	314	60	Meredith College	57.43
8	412	48	Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary	55.76
9	422	47	Salem College	55.59
10	437	45	University of North Carolina at Wilmington	55.27