11 NC colleges rank among the best in 2026 (one is No. 7 in the nation)

North Carolina is home to some of the nation’s top colleges, a new report says.

The 2026 U.S. News & World Report listed 11 state colleges and universities among the top in the country.

Duke University remains the highest-ranked college in North Carolina, despite falling from No. 6 to No. 7 in the nation, according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report “best colleges” rankings.

UNC-Chapel Hill moved up one spot in the overall rankings to tie for No. 26. The four-year university also came in at No. 4 in top public schools, the latest rankings show.

“Rising from No. 5 to No. 4 in these rankings clearly shows the impact of our public mission and the hard work of our students, faculty and staff,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee H. Roberts said in a statement. “Holding strong as the No. 1 public university for best value affirms our relentless pursuit of an accessible, affordable education.”

“Our goal is to be the nation’s best public university, and this recognition shows we are on the right path,” he said.

How North Carolina colleges were ranked

U.S. News & World Report, which bills itself as “the global authority in education rankings,” said it looked at more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and measured each for academic quality using 17 factors, including peer assessment (20%), graduation rates (16%) and graduation rate performance (10%).

The 2026 rankings used the same factors, weights and category placements as last year, however, “changes to how a few ranking factors were treated” could affect a school’s standing, according to the methodology.

In 2024, U.S. News overhauled the way it calculates its national rankings, putting greater emphasis on student success, outcomes and debt levels, and other factors, the News & Observer previously reported.

More than 50% of a university’s score is now based on the university’s “success in enrolling and graduating students from all backgrounds with manageable debt as well as earnings of post-graduates,” the News & Observer reported.

How other NC universities ranked

Here’s how other North Carolina universities stacked up in the 2026 rankings:

Wake Forest University

• Ranked No. 51 nationally
• Ranked No. 12 in best undergraduate teaching
• Ranked No. 34 in best value schools

North Carolina State University

• Ranked No. 64 nationally
• Ranked No. 29 in top public schools

Elon University

• Ranked No. 117 nationally
• Ranked No. 1 in best undergraduate teaching

UNC-Charlotte

• Ranked No. 143 nationally
• Ranked No. 38 in most innovative schools
• Ranked No. 74 in top public schools

East Carolina University

• Ranked No. 192 nationally
• Ranked No. 104 in top public schools

UNC-Greensboro and UNC-Wilmington

• Tied for No. 198 nationally

North Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State University

• Tied for No. 232 nationally

The News & Observer’s Korie Dean contributed to this report.

This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 11:31 AM with the headline "11 NC colleges rank among the best in 2026 (one is No. 7 in the nation)."

Tanasia Kenney

Sun Herald

Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.