As North Carolina's largest city and home to one of its strongest job markets, Charlotte is a great place to attend college and start a career. Read on to learn more about some of Charlotte's most popular colleges, from its largest public school to its only historically Black university.
You can also compare the four-year, nonprofit colleges in Charlotte and the surrounding area and discover scholarships that could help you pay for school.
Most Popular Charlotte Colleges
Here are some of the most popular colleges in Charlotte based on factors like reputation, academic rigor, and number of applicants.
Image provided by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
UNC Charlotte has strong connections with large companies, including AllState, Truist, Honeywell, and Eli Lilly, that can help you build your professional network. Located in NASCAR country, the university also has impressive ties to the motorsports industry. Nearly a quarter of NASCAR Cup Series race engineers are UNC Charlotte graduates, and students gain hands-on experience at the school's Alan D. Kulwicki Motorsports Laboratory.
UNC Charlotte's employer connections also extend to the education sector. The university is North Carolina's second-largest producer of teachers, with alumni accounting for one in five Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools instructional staff. You can also tap into a network of 100,000 alums in the region and get help connecting with employers through the UNC Charlotte Career Center's dedicated Employer Engagement team.
Image provided by Johnson C. Smith University
Johnson C. Smith University
Founded in 1867, Johnson C. Smith University is Charlotte's only historically Black college or university (HBCU). Its students helped shape the city's civil rights movement, organizing protests against segregation and participating in lunch counter sit-ins. JCSU also made history in college athletics. In 1892, the university, then known as Biddle College, played Livingstone College in the first Black intercollegiate football game.
Students still celebrate that contribution to athletic history each year with Homecoming parades, step shows, and football. You can also join historically Black Divine Nine fraternities and sororities that contribute to "the cultural, scholastic, political, service, and social life on campus," according to JCSU.
Image provided by Queens University of Charlotte
Queens University of Charlotte
Queens University of Charlotte offers a close-knit campus experience. Although JCSU has a smaller student population, Queens has a lower student-to-faculty ratio at 9:1, compared to JCSU's 12:1. With an average class size of just 15 students, you'll have ample opportunities to get to know your classmates and professors.
Queens and Elon University announced a merger in 2025, but the university says it's staying committed to maintaining its small, residential campus experience in Charlotte's Myers Park neighborhood, close faculty relationships, and longstanding traditions. That includes keeping the Queens name, Royals athletics, and campus traditions while giving students access to the resources of a larger university.
List of All Colleges in Charlotte
We've created a complete list of all four-year nonprofit colleges in Charlotte and the surrounding area. You can use the table below to compare data on student population and the average net cost.
The following is the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Net price data is from the 2023-24 academic year. All other data is from 2024-25.
| School | Student population | Graduation Rate | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont Abbey College | 1,388 | 47% | $24,726 |
| Carolinas College of Health Sciences | 632 | 100% | $52,023 |
| Catawba College | 1,376 | 47% | $18,447 |
| Davidson College | 1,869 | 91% | $27,720 |
| Gardner-Webb University | 3,104 | 55% | $20,016 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 1,184 | 49% | $28,084 |
| Johnson C. Smith University | 1,302 | 34% | $19,705 |
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | 2,256 | 48% | $21,546 |
| Livingstone College | 936 | 28% | $12,826 |
| Pfeiffer University | 889 | 35% | $19,660 |
| Queens University of Charlotte | 1,599 | 61% | $31,839 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 31,091 | 69% | $15,045 |
| Wingate University | 3458 | 46% | $21,282 |
How Much Is College in Charlotte?
If you're considering Charlotte-area colleges, you can expect to pay $13,000-$52,000 per year, depending on the school.
Charlotte's public college, UNC Charlotte, reports the lowest annual net price for colleges in the city. And private colleges can be surprisingly affordable when factoring in financial aid.
Note that the average annual net price for public, four-year colleges is based on the only public college in the Charlotte area, UNC Charlotte.
Average Annual Net Price by Institution Type
| Public (4-Year) | $15,045 |
| Private (4-Year) | $24,823 |
Source: NCES
Scholarships for Charlotte Students
Thousands of college scholarships are available for Charlotte undergrads and North Carolina students in general. Make sure to also look into scholarships available specifically for your school as well to see whether you qualify.
Next NC Scholarship
If you're attending UNC Charlotte (or any other UNC system school), you might qualify for the Next NC Scholarship. You'll need a family income of less than $80,000 and a Student Aid Index of 7,500 or less. The program guarantees at least $5,000 in financial aid from combined federal and state programs to use at public universities.
NC Need-Based Scholarships for Private College Students
If you're attending any of the private schools in the Charlotte area, look into whether you qualify for this need-based scholarship program. Pell Grant-eligible NC residents attending a private, nonprofit school at least half-time qualify, and the award amount varies.
Foundation for the Carolinas Scholarship Funds
Foundation for the Carolinas administers more than 150 scholarship funds to help students pay for college. Scholarships vary in award amount and eligibility requirements, with opportunities based on academic achievement, financial need, field of study, and geographic location. You can apply for available scholarships through the foundation's online portal.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colleges in Charlotte
UNC Charlotte is the most affordable college in Charlotte itself. In the 2023-24 academic year, its net price was about $15,000, according to NCES. That's $9,000 cheaper than the average net price of about $24,000 among colleges in the greater Charlotte area.
However, if you're open to studying just outside the city, Livingstone College in Salisbury has a net price under $13,000.
