Best Computer Science Colleges in North Carolina2026 Rankings
With 25 Computer Science programs spread across North Carolina, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
North Carolina offers 14 public and 11 private Computer Science programs in this ranking. Public universities average $22,494 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — Duke University — accepts 7% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Computer Science graduates average $34,309, with a state-wide graduation rate of 62% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke UniversityPrivate | Perfect· 52 | 7% | 96% | $6,901 | $133,356 | 6:1 | 59 | 6,417 |
| 2 | Davidson CollegePrivate | Excellent· 47 | 14% | 92% | $7,610 | $41,411 | 9:1 | 32 | 1,901 |
| 3 | Wake Forest UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 22% | 91% | $12,769 | $75,625 | 9:1 | 37 | 5,471 |
| 4 | North Carolina State University at RaleighPublic | Excellent· 44 | 40% | 85% | $13,992 | $85,809 | 15:1 | 77 | 26,389 |
| 5 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillPublic | Excellent· 43 | 19% | 92% | $11,220 | $90,293 | 15:1 | 51 | 20,556 |
| 6 | Elon UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 67% | 83% | $32,133 | $45,880 | 11:1 | 64 | 6,402 |
| 7 | Meredith CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 75% | 65% | $17,521 | $39,730 | 10:1 | 37 | 1,288 |
| 8 | Appalachian State UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 89% | 73% | $15,766 | $68,675 | 16:1 | 67 | 19,304 |
| 9 | Shaw UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 30% | 20% | $16,310 | $26,963 | 11:1 | 26 | 839 |
| 10 | Saint Augustine's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 59% | 33% | $17,866 | $23,746 | 11:1 | 27 | 766 |
| 11 | Elizabeth City State UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 70% | 48% | $8,929 | $34,414 | 17:1 | 32 | 1,863 |
| 12 | University of North Carolina WilmingtonPublic | Strong· 35 | 74% | 71% | $18,377 | $66,977 | 17:1 | 49 | 14,176 |
| 13 | Warren Wilson CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 78% | 43% | $15,474 | $22,535 | 11:1 | 23 | 720 |
| 14 | University of North Carolina AshevillePublic | Strong· 34 | 94% | 55% | $13,105 | $48,076 | 11:1 | 31 | 2,790 |
| 15 | Methodist UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 75% | 40% | $23,113 | $39,592 | 9:1 | 47 | 1,425 |
| 16 | University of North Carolina at CharlottePublic | Strong· 34 | 80% | 68% | $14,014 | $67,704 | 21:1 | 69 | 23,567 |
| 17 | Fayetteville State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 80% | 35% | $8,806 | $50,940 | 19:1 | 33 | 5,493 |
| 18 | University of North Carolina at PembrokePublic | Good· 33 | 92% | 45% | $10,905 | $38,417 | 14:1 | 33 | 5,386 |
| 19 | North Carolina A & T State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 46% | 55% | $13,024 | $81,174 | 20:1 | 58 | 11,925 |
| 20 | Winston-Salem State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 69% | 49% | $15,668 | $50,927 | 16:1 | 36 | 4,244 |
| 21 | Gardner-Webb UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 87% | 62% | $19,334 | $45,413 | 11:1 | 42 | 1,836 |
| 22 | Western Carolina UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 87% | 59% | $13,085 | $28,892 | 16:1 | 55 | 9,867 |
| 23 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroPublic | Good· 31 | 90% | 58% | $12,295 | $67,781 | 17:1 | 56 | 13,848 |
| 24 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 90% | 62% | $16,785 | $65,958 | 17:1 | 68 | 19,857 |
| 25 | High Point UniversityPrivate | Average· 29 | 77% | 70% | $37,597 | $47,613 | 17:1 | 52 | 4,970 |