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 the list of accredited teacher preparation programs found below as well as 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.

School Facts:

• There are 108 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in North Carolina.¹
• 35 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.¹
• Highest graduation rate*: Duke University, 95%.¹
• Highest transfer-out rate*: Campbell University, 44%.¹
• Highest net price per year*: Wake Forest University, $32,868.¹
• Lowest net price per year*: Elizabeth City State University, $1,323.¹
• Annual undergraduate tuition range for teaching degree programs in North Carolina*: $8,890-$43,623.²
• Six schools in the Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges in 2013: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (1), North Carolina State University (21), University of North Carolina School of the Arts (31), University of North Carolina-Wilmington (32), Appalachian State University (36), University of North Carolina-Asheville (52).
• Three schools ranked in US News National Universities Rankings in 2013 (top 100): Duke University (8), Wake Forest University (27), University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (30).
• 41 teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP (see below).*

*For 4-year colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.

Profiles of Well-Known Schools

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.

Top-Rated Teacher Preparation Programs

Over 1,000 national college programs that prepare teachers were evaluated and ranked by The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) (Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report). One teaching program in North Carolina made the “honor roll” of 3 stars or higher. Read more about the NCTQ Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report.

The following teacher preparation programs in North Carolina received the highest ratings by the National Council on Teacher Quality:

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Graduate Secondary)
Appalachian State University (Undergraduate Elementary)
Appalachian State University (Undergraduate Secondary)
Elon University Undergraduate (Special Education)
Fayetteville State University (Graduate Secondary)

The following reviewed schools were cited as problematic (no stars):

Catawba College (Undergraduate Elementary)
Fayetteville State University (Undergraduate Elementary)
Greensboro College (Undergraduate Secondary)
University of North Carolina at Pembroke (Undergraduate Elementary)

Teacher Preparation Programs Accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP

• Appalachian State University
• Barton College
• Bennett College
• Brevard College
• Campbell University
• Catawba College
• Chowan University
• Duke University
• East Carolina University
• Elizabeth City State University
• Elon University
• Fayetteville State University
• Gardner-Webb University
• Greensboro College
• High Point University
• Lees McRae College
• Lenoir-Rhyne University
• Livingstone College
• Mars Hill University
• Meredith College
• Methodist University
• Montreat College
• North Carolina A & T State University
• North Carolina Central University
• North Carolina State University
• North Carolina Wesleyan College
• Pfeiffer University
• Queens University of Charlotte
• Saint Andrews University
• Salem College
• Shaw University
• The University of North Carolina at Asheville
• The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of North Carolina at Wilmington
• Wake Forest University
• Western Carolina University
• Wingate University
• Winston-Salem State University

Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies.

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in North Carolina

Request free information from the following schools to learn more about your options for choosing a teacher degree program. We recommend you: Request information from one or more of these schools

Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in North Carolina

Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
(828) 262-2000
www.web.appstate.edu

Student Review: “I am now a sophomore at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. I am currently taking summer school here and am living in an apartment right on the edge of campus. The weather here is amazing and the students here are quite conservative and very friendly. I lived in a dorm during my freshman year here and I really disliked it. Mainly because it was an all male dorm which became quite irritating after a while due to the noisy roommates that were on my particular floor. The janitor staff did clean the dorms but only to an extent that was just not clean enough for me. The teaching staff here is quite knowledgeable and most of them will provide help if needed by any student, which is very nice. The student population here is roughly seventeen thousand, which is kind of small for a college but not too small.” -Austin F., student at Appalachian State University

Barton College
200 ACC Drive NE
Wilson, NC 27893-7000
(252) 399-6300
www.barton.edu

Beaufort County Community College
5337 Highway 264 East
Washington, NC 27889
(252) 946-6194

Bennett College for Women
900 E Washington St
Greensboro, NC 27401-3239
(336) 517-2100
www.bennett.edu

Blue Ridge Community College-Flat Rock
180 West Campus Drive
Flat Rock, NC 28731-4728
(828) 694-1700
www.blueridge.edu

Brevard College
One Brevard College Drive
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 Inc
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 Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28204
(704) 330-2722

Chowan University
One University Place
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 Street
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 Drive
Elon, NC 27244-2010
(336) 278-2000

Student Review: “When I knew that I wanted to major in elementary education, I specifically chose Elon University because of its reputation. The class sizes were small (never more than 15 students per education course) and followed a cohort style which allowed me to get to know my classmates and professors on a much more personal level. The majority of the faculty that I worked with had personal experience in a classroom environment, which made me feel as though they really knew what they were talking about. The program offered me multiple opportunities to participate in a classroom environment in a variety of school settings (different grades, varying socioeconomic status of the school population, and even a special remedial school).” -Student at Elon University

Empire Beauty School-Matthews
11032 E Independance Blvd
Matthews, NC 28105
(800) 223-3271

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 Drive
Clyde, NC 28721-9901
(828) 627-2821
www.haywood.edu

High Point University
833 Montlieu Ave
High Point, NC 27262-3598
(336) 841-9000
www.highpoint.edu

Johnson C Smith University
100 Beatties Ford Rd
Charlotte, NC 28216-5398
(704) 378-1000
www.jcsu.edu

Lees-McRae College
275 College Drive
Banner Elk, NC 28604-0128
(828) 898-5241
www.lmc.edu

Lenoir-Rhyne University
625 7th Avenue 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 Street
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 Street
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 530-6100
www.nccu.edu

North Carolina State University at Raleigh
2101 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27695-7001
(919) 515-2011
www.ncsu.edu

Pfeiffer University
48380 Hwy 52n
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 Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 546-8200

South Piedmont Community College
680 Highway 74 West
Polkton, NC 28135
(704) 272-5300

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
www.uncg.edu

Student Review: “The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has a amazing music program that offers several opportunities to increase your ability as a musician. Unlike some schools, the music education program offers many chances to work and/or volunteer in a music classroom allowing the student to pursue a career path that they are sure about. Since UNCG is a school or research, the professors and very knowledgeable and up-to-date on all the current research, and personally know almost all of the pioneers in music education. Their music education program is set up so that the student can pursue a master’s degree and then successfully pursue their National Board Certification. The professors freely give out their personal contact information that students are free to use in case a problem should arise.” -Daniel D., student at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

University of North Carolina at Pembroke
One University Drive
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
(910) 521-6000
www.uncp.edu

University of North Carolina-Wilmington
601 South College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403-5963
(910) 962-3000
www.uncw.edu

Student Review: “Studying at the Watson School of Education was one of the best decisions I ever made in regard to furthering my career in teaching. My degree was concentrated in Primary Education, and I was supported and challenged throughout my three years in the department, all the way to graduation and then beyond. My professors were all highly knowledgeable individuals with decades, yes, decades of experience in the field of teaching, and the resources available to students were extraordinary. The teaching lab with classroom environment simulations, especially, was a valuable resource, as well as my two year continuous internship with the local New Hanover County school district, in which I learned everything there is to know about K-5 education techniques and strategies. The connections and experiences I made during my time at the Watson School of Education have also helped me gain admission to grad school, where I am pursuing a Masters in education.” -George D., student at University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Vance-Granville Community College
I85 and Poplar Creek Rd
Henderson, NC 27536
(252) 492-2061

Wake Forest University
1834 Wake Forest Road
Winston Salem, NC 27106
(336) 758-5000
www.wfu.edu

Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723-9646
(828) 227-7211
www.wcu.edu

Student Review: “The art education program at WCU is absolutely amazing. I enrolled there in the fall of 2006 and graduated in the fall of 2009. My biggest complaint at that time is that the advising was not very well aligned. The art ed program is a split of about 60% content courses to 40% education courses. Knowing this my advisor did not inform me about certain classes only being offered at certain times, and as a result I spent an extra year in the program. However, beyond that one hiccup I believe the program to be nop notch. The facilities are excellent and well maintained, and the professors are amazing.” -Isaiah B., student at Western Carolina University

Western Piedmont Community College
1001 Burkemont Ave
Morganton, NC 28655-4511
(828) 438-6141

Wingate University
220 North Camden Road
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

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Niche College Search: https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-education/