Higher Education

Duke University: Located in the Bull City, Duke has an enrollment of approximately 16,700 students pursuing undergrad and graduate degrees. Medicine, law, engineering, business, and theology are some of the university’s most recognized programs. It’s not all studying though – their men’s basketball program is one of the top ranked in the country.

In 2019, Duke dedicated $1.23 billion to research and development, placing it at tenth in the nation for research expenditures.

The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: The Triangle is home to the first public university in America, founded in 1789. 231 years later, Carolina is home to 30,000 students. The Schools of Medicine, Business and Law are consistently ranked among the nation’s elite. In 2019, the university allocated 1.153 billion in research expenditures.

Even those who aren’t sport-minded might feel compelled to pick a side in the Duke-Carolina sports rivalry. Like the Duke Blue Devils, the Carolina Tar Heels are also top-ranked nationally in basketball.

(Wondering what a “tar heel is”? Find out here.)

North Carolina State University: Located in Raleigh, its 66,000 undergrad and grad students make NC State the largest university in the state. Originally founded as a land-grant institution focusing on engineering and agriculture, the university is a leading public research university with $541M in research and development expenditures for 2019. It has a solid track record of being an impressive generator of new technologies, successful startups, and talent.

Campbell University: A small Christian university founded in 1887, Campbell currently enrolls approximately 6,000 undergrads, graduate students, and continuing education students. Its School of Law is located in Downtown Raleigh. The university’s main campus, as well as its School of Osteopathic Medicine – the first and only osteopathic medical school founded in North Carolina – is located about 45 minutes south of Downtown Raleigh.

Meredith College: Meredith is an independent private women’s college located in West Raleigh. At 2,100 students, Meredith is the largest women’s college in the Southeast.

William Peace University is a 154-year old liberal arts university located just north of Downtown Raleigh. WPU enrolls 700 students each year with a student to faculty ratio of 15:1.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary | The College at Southeastern: Located in Wake Forest with a combined total of over 4,700 students, Southeastern Baptist was founded in 1950. The College at Southeastern was founded in 1994, as an undergraduate school of the seminary.

North Carolina Central University: Located in Durham, NCCU was the nation’s first public liberal arts college founded for Black Americans and is home to more than 8,000 students. Central has significantly expanded its research efforts with programs like the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE),which focuses on health-related research and degree-based workforce development.

Shaw University: The first HBCU in the South, this historically Black private liberal arts institution is located in downtown Raleigh. Established in 1865, Shaw has an annual enrollment of approximately 1,200 students.

St. Augustine’s College: Founded in 1867, this historically Black college is located in the heart of Downtown Raleigh.  Annual enrollment is just under 1,000 students.

The Triangle’s community colleges serve 88,000 students annually across on-campus and online programs. 

Wake Technical Community College is the largest community college in the state, with six campuses, three training centers, multiple community sites, and a comprehensive array of online learning options. Wake Tech is accredited and offers more than 200 associate’s degrees, diplomas, and certificates that prepare students for university transfer or immediate employment.

Durham Technical Community College serves students across seven campuses in Durham and Orange counties while also providing various online courses. Durham Tech programs include the arts, engineering, education, health technologies, information technology, public safety, and business administration.