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Raleigh SkylinePhoto: Abhiram Juvvadi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Raleigh

Raleigh is home to seven colleges, with about 39,000 students on campus

North Carolina State University at Raleigh (34,210 students on campus) and Meredith College (1,561) are inside the city. About 10% of Raleigh’s residents are enrolled in college, above North Carolina (6%).

Meredith CollegeNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh

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 Raleigh. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
10
53,029 students on campus
Nearest college
3 mi
William Peace University
Residents in college
10%
Above NC (6%)
Nearest community college
13.1 mi
Wake Technical · $2,254 tuition
Nearest public university
3.7 mi
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · $8,799 in-state
Median household income
$85K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Raleigh

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

Two colleges within 3.7 milesMeredith College admits 74% of applicants; North Carolina State University at Raleigh admits 42%. Together they have 35,771 students on campus.In-state price at North Carolina State University at RaleighLiving in North Carolina, North Carolina State University at Raleigh charges $8,799 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $32,847. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 13.1 miles awayWake Technical Community College in Raleigh: tuition and fees $2,254 a year for North Carolina residents.Students are 10% of residentsAbove North Carolina (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Raleigh

Eight private colleges within 12.6 miles, one public college within 3.7 miles, and Wake Technical Community College 13.1 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miNorth Carolina State University at RaleighWake TechnicalRaleigh
University or collegeCommunity college
William Peace UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 560 on campus · In Raleigh94%admitted$22knet price45%graduate$47kearningsMiller-Motte College-RaleighUniversity or college · For-profit · 214 on campus · In Raleigh$23knet price79%graduate$31kearningsEarnings are reported for all 22 campuses that file with it.Saint Augustine's UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 836 on campus · In Raleigh34%admitted$24knet price25%graduate$36kearningsMeredith CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,561 on campus · In Raleigh74%admitted$22knet price70%graduate$52kearningsNorth Carolina State University at RaleighUniversity or college · Public · 34,210 on campus · In Raleigh42%admitted$17knet price85%graduate$69kearningsShaw UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 822 on campus · In Raleigh80%admitted$17knet price22%graduate$34kearningsMyComputerCareer at RaleighUniversity or college · For-profit · 415 on campus · In Raleigh · mostly online$27knet price60%graduate74% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Shepherds Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 110 on campus · 8.3 mi · CaryGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Southeastern Baptist Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,847 on campus · 12.6 mi · Wake Forest75%admitted$13knet price58%graduateWake Technical Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 12,454 on campus · 13.1 mi · Raleigh$9knet price33%graduate$42kearningsTuition and fees: $2,254 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

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 Raleigh’s median household income ($85,395) falls.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary12.6 mi · Wake Forest · sticker $22,632$4,099a year
Wake Technical Community College13.1 mi · Raleigh · sticker $15,953 · tuition $2,254$12,603a year
Saint Augustine's UniversityIn Raleigh · sticker $33,179$19,943a year
North Carolina State University at RaleighIn Raleigh · sticker $26,425$20,087a year
William Peace UniversityIn Raleigh · sticker $49,362$23,046a year
Meredith CollegeIn Raleigh · sticker $57,313$23,678a year
MyComputerCareer at RaleighIn Raleigh · mostly online · sticker $31,935$28,878a year
Miller-Motte College-RaleighIn Raleigh · sticker $28,171—a year
Shaw UniversityIn Raleigh · sticker $30,861—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 Raleigh: 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 →William Peace UniversitySaint Augustine's UniversityMeredith CollegeNorth Carolina State University at RaleighShaw UniversityWake Technical
North Carolina State University at Raleigh85% graduate$69k earnings$20k typical debt
Wake Technical Community College33% graduate$42k earnings$12k typical debt
Meredith College70% graduate$52k earnings$25k typical debt
Saint Augustine's University25% graduate$36k earnings$30k typical debt
Shaw University22% graduate$34k earnings$32k typical debt
William Peace University45% graduate$47k earnings$22k typical debt
Miller-Motte College-Raleigh79% graduate$31k earnings*$16k 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: Miller-Motte College-Raleigh (22).

Majors

What students study in Raleigh

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Raleigh’s 6 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Engineering 21%Business 17%Biology 9%Agriculture 8%Computer science 5%Social sciences 5%Everything else 35%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and OperationsNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 918 graduates a year
$84k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 436 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 296 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Computer ScienceNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 287 graduates a year
$113k4 yrs out
Mechanical EngineeringNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 250 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Animal SciencesNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 233 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Communication and Media StudiesNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 197 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Textile Sciences and EngineeringNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh · 192 graduates a year
$72k4 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. Left out: MyComputerCareer at Raleigh, where most students study only online.

Questions about college in Raleigh

Is Raleigh a college town?

No. About 10 of every 100 Raleigh residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above North Carolina (6). The largest campus in the city, North Carolina State University at Raleigh, has 34,210 students on campus.

What colleges are in Raleigh?

North Carolina State University at Raleigh, Meredith College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University and 3 more are inside the city. Wake Technical Community College is 13.1 miles away in Raleigh.

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

Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, 13.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,254 a year for North Carolina residents; the federal net price, $8,759, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does North Carolina State University at Raleigh cost if we live in North Carolina?

Tuition and fees are $8,799 a year in-state and $32,847 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $6,382 (under $30,000 income) to $24,652 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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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 Raleigh. 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 →