North Carolina Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide
This guide to teaching schools in North Carolina is designed to assist aspiring teachers looking to get certified to become a teacher in the state. There are several colleges and universities in the state that offer degree programs that prepare future teachers for a career in the classroom. For useful information on the various teaching degrees in North Carolina, take a look at our lists of top-rated teaching programs, table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. Whether you’re looking for a new career or hoping to move up the ladder in an already established career as an educator, this guide can help you find the best teaching program for your needs.
Quick Facts
- There are 107 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in North Carolina.1
- 61 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*1
- 47 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*1
- 38 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*1
- 10 schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019.2
- 3 schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2020.3
- 9 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019.4
- 9 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019.5
- 33 not-for-profit teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP.
*For not-for-profit colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.
Top-Ranked Schools with Education Programs in North Carolina
Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019*
- Davidson College (#2)
- Duke University (#5)
- University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (#15)
- North Carolina State University (#66)
- Wake Forest University (#85)
- Appalachian State University (#111)
- Elon University (#132)
- Western Carolina University (#185)
- University of North Carolina-Wilmington (#233)
- University of North Carolina-Asheville (#236)
*Institution-wide ranking.
Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2020
- Catawba College
- East Carolina University
- Elon University
US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019
- University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (#27)
- North Carolina State University-Raleigh (#45 tie)
- University of North Carolina-Greensboro (#75 tie)
- University of North Carolina-Charlotte (#78 tie)
- Appalachian State University (#110 tie)
- Western Carolina University (#151 tie)
- East Carolina University (#163 tie)
- University of North Carolina-Wilmington (#163 tie)
- Gardner-Webb University (#195-258)
US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019
- East Carolina University (#29 tie)
- North Carolina State University-Raleigh (#29 tie)
- University of North Carolina-Charlotte (#29 tie)
- University of North Carolina-Greensboro (#61 tie)
- Appalachian State University (#77 tie)
- Queens University of Charlotte (#115 tie)
- University of North Carolina-Wilmington (#169 tie)
- North Carolina A&T State University (#194 tie)
- University of North Carolina-Pembroke (#228-299)


Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs
We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in North Carolina according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for the preparation of teachers. Completing a state-approved teacher preparation program is an important step towards earning licensure.
While accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is not a requirement for licensure, it is included in the following table as CAEP provides a highly-regarded accreditation that is accepted in many states. Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies. We have also included rankings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a research and policy group that scores teacher preparation programs at the national level using key standards chosen to measure students’ preparation for success in teaching. For further information on the NCTQ’s program rankings, please see the notes below the table.
You will also find data on teacher preparation program enrollment, completion, and licensing exam pass rates by institution for the 2017-2018 academic year in this table. These data points are collected from annual US Department of Education records under Title II (Teacher Quality) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which provides for reporting that holds institutions and state departments of education accountable for increasing academic achievement through improvements in teacher quality.
Programs that are not ranked, or for which data is not available, in a given category are denoted as “-“.
State-Approved School | CAEP Accred.?6 | NCTQ Undergrad Elementary Prog. % (2016)**7 | NCTQ Undergrad Secondary Prog. % (2017)**7 | Teacher Prep Prog. Enrollment8 | Teacher Prep Prog. Completers8 | Licensing Exams Pass Rate8 | Net Price***1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appalachian State University | Yes | 52% | 97% | 1,877 | 497 | 75% | $10,473 |
Barton College | Yes | 12% | 1% | 9 | 22 | 94% | $23,533 |
Belmont Abbey College | No | — | — | 34 | 23 | 60% | $23,066 |
Bennett College | Yes | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | $22,763 |
Brevard College | No | — | — | 25 | 10 | — | $21,204 |
Campbell University | Yes | 74% | 64% | 39 | 34 | 34% | $25,503 |
Catawba College | Yes | 47% | 25% | 23 | 24 | 100% | $19,172 |
Chowan University | Yes | — | — | 21 | 10 | — | $17,424 |
Duke University | Yes | — | — | 30 | 23 | 100% | $22,011 |
East Carolina University | Yes | — | 96% | 797 | 391 | 58% | $13,327 |
Elizabeth City State University | Yes | — | 13% | 17 | 29 | 28% | $2,304 |
Elon University | Yes | 95% | 61% | 84 | 67 | 91% | $33,754 |
Fayetteville State University | Yes | — | — | 181 | 50 | 55% | $5,626 |
Gardner-Webb University | Yes | 41% | — | 59 | 26 | 72% | $20,753 |
Greensboro College | No | — | 54% | 49 | 12 | 100% | $31,019 |
Guilford College | No | 52% | 74% | 15 | 12 | — | $25,119 |
High Point University | Yes | 97% | 96% | 87 | 54 | 71% | $39,101 |
Lees-McRae College | Yes | 13% | — | 76 | 33 | 39% | $21,832 |
Lenoir-Rhyne University | Yes | 11% | 5% | 43 | 30 | 95% | $19,380 |
Livingstone College | Yes | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | $17,061 |
Mars Hill University | Yes | 4% | — | 46 | 26 | 62% | $17,197 |
Meredith College | Yes | 91% | 90% | 87 | 42 | 91% | $25,276 |
Methodist University | No | — | 18% | — | — | — | $30,580 |
Mid-Atlantic Christian University | No | — | — | 5 | 3 | — | $17,707 |
Montreat College | No | — | — | — | — | — | $21,413 |
North Carolina A&T State University | Yes | 45% | — | 115 | 26 | 100% | $11,049 |
North Carolina Central University | Yes | 3% | 28% | 126 | 38 | 40% | $12,687 |
North Carolina State University | Yes | 43% | — | 240 | 164 | 97% | $13,442 |
North Carolina Wesleyan College | Yes | 7% | 2% | 39 | 15 | 29% | $16,965 |
Pfeiffer University | Yes | — | 46% | 39 | 26 | 40% | $20,799 |
Queens University of Charlotte | Yes | — | — | 45 | 6 | — | $24,512 |
Saint Andrews University | No | 1% | — | 11 | 15 | 63% | $26,108 |
Saint Augustine’s University | No | — | — | — | — | — | $26,096 |
Salem College | Yes | — | — | 68 | 24 | — | $18,218 |
Shaw University | Yes | — | — | 12 | 14 | — | $18,522 |
University of Mount Olive | No | — | — | 234 | 77 | 58% | $15,508 |
University of North Carolina-Asheville | Yes | — | 71% | 41 | 43 | 90% | $12,235 |
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | Yes | 66% | — | 24 | 76 | 100% | $11,100 |
University of North Carolina-Charlotte | Yes | 60% | 16% | 1,221 | 376 | 66% | $14,811 |
University of North Carolina-Greensboro | Yes | — | — | 349 | 229 | 86% | $10,496 |
University of North Carolina-Pembroke | Yes | 8% | 28% | 69 | 67 | 33% | $11,517 |
University of North Carolina-Wilmington | Yes | — | 76% | 599 | 225 | 75% | $16,831 |
Wake Forest University | Yes | 52% | — | 30 | 22 | 100% | $23,986 |
Western Carolina University | Yes | 38% | 52% | 458 | 140 | 78% | $14,456 |
William Peace University | No | — | — | 13 | 7 | — | $21,304 |
Wingate University | No | — | 81% | 50 | 29 | 72% | $18,094 |
Winston-Salem State University | Yes | 13% | — | 22 | 36 | 24% | $11,256 |
*The NCTQ rated undergraduate elementary teaching programs in 2016 and undergraduate secondary teaching programs in 2017 by national percentile based on their overall scores on the NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. Schools that do not provide data on all key standards or that fall below the top 50% of schools nationally are not included by the NCTQ in their ratings. Visit the NCTQ website for more information on its standards and methodologies.
**Net price is per year for undergraduate tuition as calculated by the National Center for Education Statistics based on the cost of attendance (tuition, books, room and board, and related expenses) for students who qualify for in-state tuition and fees, less the average financial aid award (including grants and scholarships).
Profiles of Well-Known Schools
University of North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is home to the country’s largest concentration of individuals with master’s degrees and is part of the research triangle that is made up of the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. Many of those scholars are trained and educated at the University of North Carolina School of Education. The School of Education is approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The Graduate Programs in school psychology are accredited by the American Psychological Association and Counseling for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The School of Education at UNC is home to thousands of undergraduates and graduate students and is one of the largest at UNC.
Duke University: Prestigious Duke University in Durham, North Carolina offers undergraduate studies in Education. The goal of the Duke Program in Education is to give its student’s dynamic learning opportunities outside the classroom that shape their thinking and skills. Duke’s education department is led by full-time faculty members all with doctoral degrees in the areas in which they instruct and research. Undergraduates are able to spend time with full tenured faculty learning and receiving mentorship both in and out of the classroom. The Duke Department of Education offers students a robust learning environment outside of the class with student-led organizations that provide enriching activities all to do with challenges and opportunities in education.
Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in North Carolina
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
(828) 262-2000
https://www.appstate.edu/


Barton College
200 ACC Drive NE
Wilson, NC 27893-7000
(252) 399-6300
www.barton.edu
Beaufort County Community College*
5337 Highway 264 E
Washington, NC 27889
(252) 946-6194
Bennett College
900 E Washington St
Greensboro, NC 27401-3239
(336) 517-2100
www.bennett.edu
Blue Ridge Community College-Flat Rock*
180 West Campus Dr
Flat Rock, NC 28731-4728
(828) 694-1700
www.blueridge.edu
Brevard College
One Brevard College Dr
Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 883-8292
www.brevard.edu
Brunswick Community College*
50 College Rd
Supply, NC 28462
(910) 755-7300
www.brunswickcc.edu
Campbell University
450 Leslie Campbell Ave
Buies Creek, NC 27506
(910) 893-1200
Catawba College
2300 W Innes St
Salisbury, NC 28144
(704) 637-4111
www.catawba.edu
Central Piedmont Community College*
1201 Elizabeth Ave
Charlotte, NC 28204
(704) 330-2722
Chowan University
One University Pl
Murfreesboro, NC 27855
(252) 398-6500
www.chowan.edu
Cleveland Community College*
137 S Post Rd
Shelby, NC 28152-6224
(704) 484-4000
www.clevelandcommunitycollege.edu
East Carolina University
East 5th St
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(252) 328-6131
www.ecu.edu
Elizabeth City State University
1704 Weeksville Rd
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
(252) 335-3400
Elon University
100 Campus Dr
Elon, NC 27244-2010
(336) 278-2000
https://www.elon.edu/

Fayetteville State University
1200 Murchison Rd
Fayetteville, NC 28301-4298
(910) 672-1111
www.uncfsu.edu
Gardner-Webb University
Main St
Boiling Springs, NC 28017-0997
(704) 406-2361
Haywood Community College*
185 Freedlander Dr
Clyde, NC 28721-9901
(828) 627-2821
www.haywood.edu
High Point University
833 Montlieu Ave
High Point, NC 27262-3598
(336) 841-9000
http://www.highpoint.edu/

Lees-McRae College
275 College Dr
Banner Elk, NC 28604-0128
(828) 898-5241
www.lmc.edu
Lenoir-Rhyne University
625 7th Ave NE
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 328-1741
www.lr.edu
Livingstone College
701 W Monroe St
Salisbury, NC 28144
(704) 216-6000
Mars Hill College
100 Athletic St
Mars Hill, NC 28754
(828) 689-1307
www.mhc.edu
Meredith College
3800 Hillsborough St
Raleigh, NC 27607-5298
(919) 760-8600
www.meredith.edu
Methodist University
5400 Ramsey St
Fayetteville, NC 28311-1420
(910) 630-7000
www.methodist.edu
Mitchell Community College*
500 W Broad St
Statesville, NC 28677-5293
(704) 878-3200
North Carolina A & T State University
1601 E Market St
Greensboro, NC 27411
(336) 334-7500
www.ncat.edu
North Carolina Central University
1801 Fayetteville St
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 530-6100
www.nccu.edu
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
2101 Hillsborough St
Raleigh, NC 27695-7001
(919) 515-2011
www.ncsu.edu
Pfeiffer University
48380 Hwy 52 N
Misenheimer, NC 28109-0960
(704) 463-1360
Salem College
601 S Church St
Winston Salem, NC 27101
(336) 721-2600
www.salem.edu
Shaw University
118 East South St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 546-8200
South Piedmont Community College*
680 Highway 74 West
Polkton, NC 28135
(704) 272-5300
Surry Community College*
630 S Main St
Dobson, NC 27017
(336) 386-8121
https://surry.edu/

Tri-County Community College*
4600 E US 64
Murphy, NC 28906
(828) 837-6810
www.tricountycc.edu
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
103 South Bldg Cb 9100
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(919) 962-2211
www.unc.edu
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001
(704) 687-2000
www.uncc.edu
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
1000 Spring Garden St
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
(336) 334-5000
https://www.uncg.edu/


University of North Carolina at Pembroke
One University Dr
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
(910) 521-6000
www.uncp.edu
University of North Carolina-Wilmington
601 South College Rd
Wilmington, NC 28403-5963
(910) 962-3000
https://uncw.edu/

Vance-Granville Community College*
I85 and Poplar Creek Rd
Henderson, NC 27536
(252) 492-2061
Wake Forest University
1834 Wake Forest Rd
Winston Salem, NC 27106
(336) 758-5000
www.wfu.edu
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723-9646
(828) 227-7211
https://www.wcu.edu/

Western Piedmont Community College*
1001 Burkemont Ave
Morganton, NC 28655-4511
(828) 438-6141
Wingate University
220 North Camden Rd
Wingate, NC 28174-0157
(704) 233-8000
www.wingate.edu
Winston-Salem State University
601 Martin Luther King Jr Dr
Winston-Salem, NC 27110-0001
(336) 750-2000
www.wssu.edu
An asterisk (*) denotes a two-year or certificate program in education. While a two-year degree will not qualify graduates for teacher certification, it can be a good starting point for a teaching career. To learn more about what you can do with this degree, see our guide to associate’s degrees in education.
References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Tile
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 385 Colleges, 2020 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2019.
4. US News & World Report Best Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/edu-rankings
5. US News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/education/rankings
6. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): http://caepnet.org/provider-search
7. National Council on Teacher Quality Teacher Preparation Program Review: https://www.nctq.org/review/home
8. US Department of Education 2018 Title II Reports: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx