Community Colleges in North Carolina

With over ten million residents, the state of North Carolina is the ninth largest state by population. Historically, it was the first state in America to launch a public university (UNC) back in 1795. In terms of community colleges, the state boasts around five dozen schools across the state. Community colleges are public higher education institutions that traditionally have provided less than two-year undergraduate education opportunities to students via degree pathways and certificate programs. That being said, there are a handful of community colleges experimenting with three and four-year degree pathways to students.

Benefits of Attending a Community College in North Carolina

Other salient features you will discover about community colleges is imbedded within affordability and access. From a cost standpoint, a community college will typically be significantly less than private colleges and public universities. The tuition and overall costs are effectively subsidized by public dollars to help students afford a quality education. The other prominent aspect of a community college is the guaranteed admissions policy. In other words, schools will accept any qualifying student for admissions. By combining access to higher education with a more affordable price point, millions of students every year utilize the community college system.

Locating Top Rated Community Colleges in North Carolina

Top ranked community colleges in North Carolina include schools in every corner of the state from Charlotte to Raleigh and from Asheville to Durham. Popular NC colleges that can be explored start with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Central Piedmont Community College, Wake Technical Community College, Guilford Technical Community College, Forsyth Technical Community College, Blue Ridge Community College, and Pitt Community College.

Top Degrees Offed at North Carolina Community Colleges

The immense variety of community colleges provide students with a nearly unlimited number of learning opportunities. Students can jump into direct-entry programs like welding, computer systems, cosmetology, auto body, diesel mechanic, and court reporting or more traditional pathways. Regionally influenced degrees and popular programs may include operations management, atmospheric science, economics, teaching, computer science, communications, applied mathematics, and psychology. In either case, start your college search by collecting the right information to help connect with schools that fit your goals and objectives.

The following link may provide helpful information about community colleges in North Carolina:

North Carolina Community College System (Official Website)

Community Colleges in Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord

We have ranked the community colleges in the Charlotte, Gastonia, and Concord area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Rowan - Cabarrus Community College in Salisbury, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.rccc.edu/

Rowan - Cabarrus Community College Highlights

Serving students from Salisbury and surrounding areas
35% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,600 per year for state residents ($9,100 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Charlotte, Gastonia, and Concord

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
35%	Rowan - Cabarrus Community College	Salisbury, NC	5,000
34%	Mitchell Community College	Statesville, NC	3,000
33%	Gaston College	Dallas, NC	6,000
32%	Central Piedmont Community College	Charlotte, NC	19,000
28%	York Technical College	Rock Hill, SC	5,000

Community Colleges in Raleigh, Cary

We have ranked the community colleges in the Raleigh and Cary area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Johnston Community College in Smithfield, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.johnstoncc.edu

Johnston Community College Highlights

Serving students from Smithfield and surrounding areas
65% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,500 per year for state residents ($9,000 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Raleigh and Cary

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
65%	Johnston Community College	Smithfield, NC	4,000
42%	Wake Technical Community College	Raleigh, NC	21,000

Community Colleges in Greensboro, High Point

We have ranked the community colleges in the Greensboro and High Point area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.gtcc.edu/

Guilford Technical Community College Highlights

Serving students from Jamestown and surrounding areas
35% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,300 per year for state residents ($7,400 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Greensboro and High Point

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
35%	Guilford Technical Community College	Jamestown, NC	12,000
33%	Rockingham Community College	Wentworth, NC	2,000
31%	Randolph Community College	Asheboro, NC	3,000

Community Colleges in Durham

We have ranked the community colleges in the Durham area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Piedmont Community College in Roxboro, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.piedmontcc.edu

Piedmont Community College Highlights

Serving students from Roxboro and surrounding areas
44% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,500 per year for state residents ($9,000 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Durham

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
44%	Piedmont Community College	Roxboro, NC	1,000
30%	Durham Technical Community College	Durham, NC	5,000

Community Colleges in Winston, Salem

We have ranked the community colleges in the Winston and Salem area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Davidson County Community College in Thomasville, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.davidsonccc.edu

Davidson County Community College Highlights

Serving students from Thomasville and surrounding areas
47% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,600 per year for state residents ($9,000 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Winston and Salem

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
47%	Davidson County Community College	Thomasville, NC	4,000
14%	Forsyth Technical Community College	Winston-Salem, NC	8,000

Community Colleges in Asheville

We have ranked the community colleges in the Asheville area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.blueridge.edu

Blue Ridge Community College Highlights

Serving students from Flat Rock and surrounding areas
30% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,500 per year for state residents ($9,000 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Asheville

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
30%	Blue Ridge Community College	Flat Rock, NC	2,000
27%	Asheville - Buncombe Technical Community College	Asheville, NC	7,000
20%	Haywood Community College	Clyde, NC	2,000

Community Colleges in Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton

We have ranked the community colleges in the Hickory, Lenoir, and Morganton area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.wpcc.edu/

Western Piedmont Community College Highlights

Serving students from Morganton and surrounding areas
24% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,600 per year for state residents ($9,100 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Hickory, Lenoir, and Morganton

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
24%	Western Piedmont Community College	Morganton, NC	2,000
21%	Catawba Valley Community College	Hickory, NC	5,000
20%	Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute	Hudson, NC	3,000

Community Colleges in Rocky Mount

We have ranked the community colleges in the Rocky Mount area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.edgecombe.edu/

Edgecombe Community College Highlights

Serving students from Tarboro and surrounding areas
12% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,500 per year for state residents ($8,900 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Rocky Mount

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
12%	Edgecombe Community College	Tarboro, NC	2,000
7%	Nash Community College	Rocky Mount, NC	3,000

Community Colleges in New Bern

We have ranked the community colleges in the New Bern area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Pamlico Community College in Grantsboro, NC ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.pamlicocc.edu/

Pamlico Community College Highlights

Serving students from Grantsboro and surrounding areas
67% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
Tuition & fees are about $2,500 per year for state residents ($8,900 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in New Bern

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
67%	Pamlico Community College	Grantsboro, NC	-
40%	Craven Community College	New Bern, NC	3,000

Other Community Colleges in North Carolina

The table below lists all the other community colleges in North Carolina that do not belong to any large metropolitan or urban concentrated area. The table also displays the "Rate" column, which is the percent of students completing course work.

Rate	Institution Name	Location	Enrollment
68%	Tri-County Community College	Murphy, NC	1,000
58%	Wilkes Community College	Wilkesboro, NC	3,000
56%	South Piedmont Community College	Polkton, NC	3,000
51%	Sampson Community College	Clinton, NC	1,000
48%	Cleveland Community College	Shelby, NC	3,000
48%	Coastal Carolina Community College	Jacksonville, NC	4,000
46%	Pitt Community College	Winterville, NC	9,000
46%	Halifax Community College	Weldon, NC	1,000
45%	Surry Community College	Dobson, NC	3,000
41%	Vance - Granville Community College	Henderson, NC	3,000
39%	College of the Albemarle	Elizabeth City, NC	2,000
38%	Cape Fear Community College	Wilmington, NC	9,000
38%	Roanoke - Chowan Community College	Ahoskie, NC	1,000
37%	Richmond Community College	Hamlet, NC	3,000
36%	Wayne Community College	Goldsboro, NC	3,000
36%	Central Carolina Community College	Sanford, NC	5,000
34%	Mayland Community College	Spruce Pine, NC	1,000
33%	Montgomery Community College	Troy, NC	1,000
33%	McDowell Technical Community College	Marion, NC	1,000
32%	Southwestern Community College	Sylva, NC	2,000
32%	James Sprunt Community College	Kenansville, NC	1,000
31%	Robeson Community College	Lumberton, NC	2,000
29%	Bladen Community College	Dublin, NC	1,000
26%	Alamance Community College	Graham, NC	5,000
25%	Wilson Community College	Wilson, NC	2,000
24%	Brunswick Community College	Bolivia, NC	2,000
20%	Fayetteville Technical Community College	Fayetteville, NC	12,000
18%	Beaufort County Community College	Washington, NC	2,000
16%	Carteret Community College	Morehead City, NC	1,000
13%	Stanly Community College	Albemarle, NC	3,000
12%	Lenoir Community College	Kinston, NC	3,000
11%	Sandhills Community College	Pinehurst, NC	4,000
10%	Southeastern Community College - Whiteville	Whiteville, NC	1,000
8%	Martin Community College	Williamston, NC	1,000
7%	Isothermal Community College	Spindale, NC	2,000

Notes: Tuition & fee amounts are for both North Carolina in-state residents and out of state students, unless noted otherwise. The tuition information displayed is an estimate, which we calculated based on historical data and should be solely used for informational purposes only. Please contact the respective school for information about the current school year.

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2015: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.