According to WSOC-TV, there are major concerns among educators in South Carolina. This is because of some recently released test results. They show that a large percentage of students in local counties are failing basic subjects like biology and US history.
School officials warned that during Covid the time away from the classroom could impact students negatively. It looks like it sure has affected scores. Lindsay Machak with the Rock Hill School District said “Could we have done better? Absolutely. Is there always room for improvement? Yes.”
Of the nearly 1,300 Rock Hill students tested, 48% failed biology and nearly 39% failed in US history.
Other school districts struggled too. In Chester County, more than 53% of students failed biology, and 59% failed US history. In Chesterfield County, 53% of students failed biology and more than 50% failed US history. Ouch
List: The Best Colleges In North Carolina According To US News
What are the best colleges in North Carolina? There’s no perfect college because no one student wants or needs the exact same things. What makes a particular academic institution stand out to one person may be exactly what another doesn’t want. And choosing which school that is can be a daunting task. Even creating a list of universities to visit and apply to can be overwhelming. That’s why U.S. News creates its Best Colleges rankings each year. And last year they released their rankings for 2022-2023.
To create these rankings U.S. News analyzed over 1,850 colleges and placed them in four overall ranking categories. These include National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges. The rankings in each category are based on factors that are indicative of academic quality. This includes such metrics as graduation rates and faculty resources.
Best Colleges In North Carolina
So back to North Carolina. We’ve got some major recognizable names when it comes to universities. In, fact, in the sports world North Carolina has 4 undefeated college football teams right now 3 weeks into the season. Like many states, sports are a big driver for many of the dozens of colleges and universities across the state of North Carolina. It was a huge factor in my college selection. One that was the best decision I ever made. But returning to academics, North Carolina has options of all sizes including large research universities, midsize colleges, and small private liberal arts colleges. You can choose an institution in a big city, a small town, the mountains, or the beach.
Returning to college football for a moment, coincidental the top 4 national universities in North Carolina are those same 4 teams that are undefeated right now. Another interesting statistic is that our state is home to the number one overall regional university in the south. That’s pretty awesome! Keep reading to see where your school made the list. First, you’ll see the list of North Carolina National Universities, then Liberal Arts, and finally Regional Colleges/Universities.
National Universities
1. Duke University
Location: Durham, NC
Ranked #10 Nationally
Tuition: $63,054 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 6,883
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (TIE)
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
#29 Nationally (TIE)
Tuition: $5,472 (in-state) $37,558 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 19,987
2. Wake Forest University (TIE)
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
#29 Nationally (TIE)
Tuition: $62,128 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 5,472
4. NC State University
Location: Raleigh, NC
#72 Nationally
Tuition: $9,128 (in-state) $30,869 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 26,505
5. Elon University
Location: Elon, NC
#89 Nationally
Tuition: $42,241 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 6,302
6. University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Location: Wilmington, NC
#202 Nationally
Tuition: $7,238 (in-state) $21,858 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 14,488
7. University of North Carolina at Greensboro (TIE)
Location: Greensboro, NC
#219 Nationally (TIE)
Tuition: $7,468 (in-state) $15,178 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 15,178
7. University of North Carolina at Charlotte (TIE)
Location: Charlotte, NC
#219 Nationally (TIE)
Tuition: $7,214 (in-state) $21,338 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 24,116
9. East Carolina University
Location: Greenville, NC
#234 Nationally (TIE)
Tuition: $7,297 (in-state) $23,574 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 22,463
10. Western Carolina University
Location: Cullowhee, NC
#263 Nationally
Tuition: $4,453 (in-state) $8,453 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 10,145
11. Winston-Salem State University
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
#285 Nationally
Tuition: $6,247 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 4,689
12. Campbell University (TIE)
Location: Buies Creek, NC
#299 Nationally (TIE)
Tuition: $39,230 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 3,325
12. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (TIE)
Location: Greensboro, NC
#299 Nationally (TIE)
Tuition: $6,733 (in-state) $20,243 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 11,596
Top Liberal Arts Colleges
1. Davidson College
Location: Davidson, NC
#15 Nationally for Liberal Arts
Tuition: $57,090 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,973
2. Salem College
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
#124 Nationally for Liberal Arts
Tuition: $31,016 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 367
3. Meredith College
Location: Raleigh, NC
#130 Nationally for Liberal Arts
Tuition: $42,660 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,427
4. University of North Carolina at Asheville
Location: Asheville, NC
#136 Nationally for Liberal Arts
Tuition: $7,380 (in-state) $24,728 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 3,233
Top Regional Colleges
1. High Point University
Location: High Point, NC
#1 Regional College in the South
Tuition: $41,916 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 4,910
2. Catawba College
Location: Salisbury, NC
#5 Regional Colleges in the South
Tuition: $32,868 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,143
3. Appalachian State University
Location: Boone, NC
#6 Regional Universities in the South
Tuition: $7,970 (in-state) $23,974 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 18,555
4. Queens University of Charlotte
Location: Charlotte, NC
#9 Regional Universities in the South (TIE)
Tuition: $40,830 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,440
5. Barton College
Location: Wilson, NC
#14 Regional Colleges in the South (TIE)
Tuition: $34,400
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,150
5. Belmont Abbey College
Location: Belmont, NC
#14 Regional Colleges in the South (TIE)
Tuition: $18,500 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,507
7. Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte (TIE)
Location: Charlotte, NC
#19 Regional Colleges in the South (TIE)
Tuition: $38,046
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,262
7. Mars Hill University (TIE)
Location: Mars Hill, NC
#19 Regional Colleges in the South
Tuition: $36,557
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,025
9. Lees-McRae College
Location: Banner Elk, NC
#21 Regional Colleges in the South
Tuition: $29,340
Undergrad Enrollment: 872
10. Brevard College (TIE)
Location: Brevard, NC
#29 Regional Colleges in the South (TIE)
Tuition: $30,250
Undergrad Enrollment: 769
10. William Peace University (TIE)
Location: Raleigh, NC
#29 Regional College in the South
Tuition: $32,450
Undergrad Enrollment: 742
12. Elizabeth City State University
Location: Elizabeth City, NC
#31 Regional Colleges in the South
Tuition: $4,047 (in-state) $8,047 (out-of-state)
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,956
13. Lenoir-Rhyne University
Location: Hickory, NC
#41 Regional Universities in the South
Tuition: $43,000 (everyone)
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,579
