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Uptown Charlotte 2018 taking by DJI Phantom 4 proPhoto: Precisionviews · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Charlotte

Charlotte is home to eight colleges, with about 44,000 students on campus

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (27,318 students on campus) and Central Piedmont Community College (12,139) are inside the city. About 6% of Charlotte’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina (6%).

Central Piedmont Community CollegeQueens University of CharlotteJohnson & Wales University-CharlotteUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Charlotte. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
9
45,299 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
Central Piedmont
Residents in college
6%
About the same as NC (6%)
Nearest community college
0.6 mi
Central Piedmont · $2,792 tuition
Nearest public university
5.8 mi
Carolinas College of Health Sciences · $18,882 in-state
Median household income
$82K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Charlotte

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Four colleges within 8.8 milesQueens University of Charlotte admits 62% of applicants; Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte admits 80%; University of North Carolina at Charlotte admits 80%. Together they have 42,086 students on campus.A community college 0.6 miles awayCentral Piedmont Community College in Charlotte: tuition and fees $2,792 a year for North Carolina residents.In-state price at Carolinas College of Health SciencesLiving in North Carolina, Carolinas College of Health Sciences charges $18,882 in tuition and fees, the same for every student.Students are 6% of residentsAbout the same as North Carolina (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Charlotte

Six private colleges within 12.4 miles, two public colleges within 8.8 miles, and Central Piedmont Community College 0.6 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miCentral PiedmontQueens University of CharlotteCharlotte
University or collegeCommunity college
Central Piedmont Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 12,139 on campus · In Charlotte$3knet price31%graduate$38kearningsTuition and fees: $2,792 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Queens University of CharlotteUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,509 on campus · In Charlotte62%admitted$31knet price61%graduate$58kearningsJohnson & Wales University-CharlotteUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,120 on campus · In Charlotte80%admitted$27knet price49%graduate$43kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.Johnson C Smith UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 983 on campus · In Charlotte45%admitted$21knet price34%graduate$43kearningsSoutheastern College-CharlotteUniversity or college · For-profit · 216 on campus · In Charlotte94%admitted$31knet price77%graduate$32kearningsCarolinas College of Health SciencesUniversity or college · Public · 351 on campus · In Charlotte60%admitted100%graduate$65kearningsChamberlain University-North CarolinaUniversity or college · For-profit · 183 on campus · In Charlotte100%admitted$38knet price$92kearningsEarnings are reported for all 15 campuses that file with it.University of North Carolina at CharlotteUniversity or college · Public · 27,318 on campus · In Charlotte80%admitted$15knet price69%graduate$57kearningsBelmont Abbey CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,480 on campus · 12.4 mi · Belmont75%admitted$25knet price47%graduate$48kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Charlotte’s median household income ($82,068) falls.

Central Piedmont Community CollegeIn Charlotte · sticker $10,546 · tuition $2,792$8,010a year
Johnson C Smith UniversityIn Charlotte · sticker $34,923$19,722a year
University of North Carolina at CharlotteIn Charlotte · sticker $23,010$19,822a year
Belmont Abbey College12.4 mi · Belmont · sticker $34,788$24,798a year
Southeastern College-CharlotteIn Charlotte · sticker $38,136$29,567a year
Johnson & Wales University-CharlotteIn Charlotte · sticker $58,022$30,117a year
Queens University of CharlotteIn Charlotte · sticker $65,742$30,159a year
Chamberlain University-North CarolinaIn Charlotte · sticker $42,634—a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Charlotte: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Central PiedmontQueens University of CharlotteJohnson & Wales University-CharlotteJohnson C Smith UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteBelmont Abbey College
University of North Carolina at Charlotte69% graduate$57k earnings$22k typical debt
Central Piedmont Community College31% graduate$38k earnings$8k typical debt
Queens University of Charlotte61% graduate$58k earnings$25k typical debt
Belmont Abbey College47% graduate$48k earnings$26k typical debt
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte49% graduate$43k earnings*$26k typical debt
Johnson C Smith University34% graduate$43k earnings$30k typical debt
Carolinas College of Health Sciences100% graduate$65k earnings$15k typical debt
Southeastern College-Charlotte77% graduate$32k earnings$10k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte (3).

Majors

What students study in Charlotte

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Charlotte’s 8 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 16%Liberal arts 12%Computer science 11%Health professions 10%Biology 6%Psychology 5%Everything else 40%

Biggest programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCentral Piedmont Community College · 1,341 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Computer ScienceUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · 644 graduates a year
$93k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management ServicesUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · 383 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · 367 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · 333 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Health and Medical Administrative ServicesUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · 263 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Communication and Media StudiesUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · 236 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · 235 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Charlotte

Is Charlotte a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Charlotte residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as North Carolina (6). The largest campus in the city, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has 27,318 students on campus.

What colleges are in Charlotte?

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Queens University of Charlotte, Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte and 4 more are inside the city.

What is the closest community college to Charlotte, and what does it cost?

Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, 0.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,792 a year for North Carolina residents; the federal net price, $3,345, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Carolinas College of Health Sciences cost if we live in North Carolina?

Tuition and fees are $18,882 a year in-state and $18,882 from out of state.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Charlotte. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →