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Wingate, NC Town Hall IMG 4253Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Wingate

Wingate is a college town: 46 of every 100 residents are students

Wingate University (3,090 students on campus) is inside the town. Across North Carolina, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town46% of residents are studentsWingate University

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 Wingate. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
5,458 students on campus
Nearest college
0.2 mi
Wingate University
Residents in college
46%
Above NC (6%)
Nearest community college
13.3 mi
South Piedmont · $2,022 tuition
Nearest public university
27.2 mi
University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $7,239 in-state
Students on campus in Wingate
3,090
next to 4,628 residents

What stands out about college in Wingate

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

A college town46 of every 100 Wingate residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.A university in WingateWingate University has 3,090 students on campus in Wingate, 46% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 13.3 miles awaySouth Piedmont Community College in Polkton: tuition and fees $2,022 a year for North Carolina residents.In-state price at University of North Carolina at CharlotteLiving in North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte charges $7,239 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,492. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Wingate

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

46 of every 100 Wingate residents are in college (NC: 6).

3,090students on campus at Wingate University, next to 4,628 residents (dorm students count as residents)
460college students live in Wingate households rather than dorms
21.8median age · NC 39.1
57%of residents are women · NC 51% (±5 points)
39%of homes rented · NC 33%
$1,123median rent · 9% below the state
WingateWingate, NC
Cost of living$1,123/mo median rentA−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Wingate’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 17.3% of Wingate residents are below the poverty line, 10.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 13 points either way). 54% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living A−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (46% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Wingate’s median age is 21.8 (North Carolina 39.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Wingate

One private college within 0.2 miles, and South Piedmont Community College 13.3 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is 27.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miWingate UniversityWingate
University or collegeCommunity college
Wingate UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,090 on campus · In Wingate91%admitted$21knet price46%graduate$53kearningsSouth Piedmont Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,368 on campus · 13.3 mi · Polkton$7knet price38%graduate$37kearningsTuition and fees: $2,022 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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Wingate’s median household income ($63,068) falls.

South Piedmont Community College13.3 mi · Polkton · sticker $16,111 · tuition $2,022$7,866a year
University of North Carolina at Charlotte27.2 mi · Charlotte · sticker $23,010$13,690a year
Wingate UniversityIn Wingate · sticker $57,473$18,865a 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: 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 →Wingate UniversitySouth PiedmontUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte69% graduate$57k earnings$22k typical debt
Wingate University46% graduate$53k earnings$25k typical debt
South Piedmont Community College38% graduate$37k earnings

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.

Majors

What students study in Wingate

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Wingate University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 21%Parks & recreation 17%Biology 12%Psychology 10%Education 8%Health professions 7%Everything else 23%

Biggest programs

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness70 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Psychology, General66 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Biology, General51 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations38 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections34 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Human Services, General32 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing25 graduates a year
$69k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services25 graduates a year
$67k4 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 Wingate

Is Wingate a college town?

Yes. 46 of every 100 Wingate residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across North Carolina. Wingate University has 3,090 students on campus, next to 4,628 residents.

What colleges are in Wingate?

Wingate University is inside the town. South Piedmont Community College is 13.3 miles away in Polkton.

Why is Wingate’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 17.3% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 10.0% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 13 points).

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

South Piedmont Community College in Polkton, 13.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,022 a year for North Carolina residents; the federal net price, $6,675, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Wingate University?

Wingate University admitted 91% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,010–1,210 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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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 Wingate. 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 →