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North Carolina's 36 Independent Colleges & Universities

Peace College, Raleigh, NC. Today North Carolina has the following 36 independent colleges and universities accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. These institutions are affiliated with 14 different religious denominations and enroll over 80,000 students. They confer nearly one-third of the bachelor's degrees awarded in the state each year and over half of the state's degrees in law and medicine.

Colleges & universities are listed with their current locations and estimated dates of establishment.

Barton College (Wilson, 1902)

Bennett College (Greensboro, 1873)

Belmont Abbey College (Belmont, 1876)

Brevard College (Brevard, 1853)

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences (Concord, 1942)

Campbell University (Buies Creek, 1887)

Catawba College (Salisbury, 1851)

Chowan University (Murfreesboro, 1848)

Davidson College (Davidson, 1837)

Duke University (Durham, 1838)

Elon University (Elon, 1889)

Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, 1905)

Greensboro College (Greensboro, 1838)

Guilford College (Greensboro, 1837)

High Point University (High Point, 1924)

Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, 1867)

Lees-McRae College (Banner Elk, 1900)

Lenoir-Rhyne University (Hickory, 1891)

Livingstone College (Salisbury, 1879)

Louisburg College (Louisburg, 1787)

Mars Hill University (Mars Hill, 1856)

Meredith College (Raleigh, 1891)

Methodist College (Fayetteville, 1956)

Montreat College (Montreat, 1916)

University of Mount Olive (Mount Olive, 1951)

N.C. Wesleyan College (Rocky Mount, 1956)

Pfeiffer University (Misenheimer, c.1885)

Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, 1857)

St. Andrews University (Laurinburg, 1896)

Saint Augustine's University (Raleigh, 1867)

Salem College (Winston-Salem, 1772)

Shaw University (Raleigh, 1865)

Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, 1834)

Warren Wilson College (Asheville, 1894)

William Peace University (Raleigh, 1857)

Wingate University (Wingate, 1896)

Additional Resources:

North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities. 2021. Accessed Oct. 17, 2023. https://ncicu.org/

Image credits:

Main building at Peace College, Raleigh, NC, 2010. From the State Library of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC. www.ncdcr.gov. This image is in the public domain.

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