The average graduation rate of North Carolina colleges is 46.27%. It means that 46.27% of students have completed their studies within 150% of program length.

For the bachelor's degree (BS) in 4-year North Carolina colleges, the average graduation rate is 50.47%, which means 50.47% of students earned BS degree in 6 years after enrolling first year.

In North Carolina 2-year institutions (i.e. community colleges), the average graduation rate is 37.39%.

For North Carolina colleges, Chamberlain University-North Carolina has the highest graduation rate of 100.00% among 4-year colleges. For North Carolina community colleges, MyComputerCareer at Raleigh has the highest graduation rate of 72.38%.

Graduation Rate By School Level and Completion Time for North Carolina Colleges

The following table compares graduation rates between North Carolina colleges. For 4-year colleges, the rates are based on the time it takes to earn a bachelor's degree, which typically requires 4 years of study. Therefore, 100% normal time means 4-year, 125% normal time means 5-years, and the 150% normal time means 6 years.

For community colleges (2-4 year schools) and trade schools, the completion time to measure graduation rates vary depending on the length of the program. For example, 150% normal time for 1-year certificate programs is 18 months and 3 years for 2-years associate degree.

Graduation Rate Comparison between North Carolina Colleges
SchoolGraduation Rate
(Completers)		Transfer-out RateRetention Rate
In 100% Normal TimeIn 125% Normal TimeIn 150% Normal Time
College of the AlbemarleCommunity College30.99%-42.11%14%54%
South Piedmont Community CollegeCommunity College20.53%-31.79%17%67%
Appalachian State University4-Year College, public58.32%73.02%75.16%17%83%
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community CollegeCommunity College22.41%-31.33%9%58%
Barton College4-Year College, private37.50%45.42%47.50%--
Beaufort County Community CollegeCommunity College45.00%-45.00%--
Belmont Abbey College4-Year College, private41.62%46.65%46.93%--
Bennett College4-Year College, private10.53%16.67%19.30%57%92%
Bladen Community CollegeCommunity College38.89%-47.22%--
Blue Ridge Community CollegeCommunity College27.52%-50.34%12%69%
Brevard College4-Year College, private25.76%33.62%35.81%--
Brunswick Community CollegeCommunity College22.37%-40.35%19%67%
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences4-Year College, private-----
Caldwell Community College and Technical InstituteCommunity College27.97%-40.11%20%71%
Campbell University4-Year College, private41.61%52.61%54.20%34%75%
Cape Fear Community CollegeCommunity College29.50%-29.50%54%10%
Carteret Community CollegeCommunity College22.40%-35.20%10%71%
Catawba College4-Year College, private44.70%49.86%51.58%--
Catawba Valley Community CollegeCommunity College16.81%-31.05%17%63%
Central Carolina Community CollegeCommunity College22.66%-32.86%14%70%
Central Piedmont Community CollegeCommunity College13.85%-22.73%30%61%
Chowan University4-Year College, private16.28%24.14%25.48%33%63%
Cleveland Community CollegeCommunity College27.04%-33.96%--
Coastal Carolina Community CollegeCommunity College18.22%-37.82%19%70%
Craven Community CollegeCommunity College26.94%-38.86%17%62%
Davidson-Davie Community CollegeCommunity College24.01%-36.41%15%66%
Davidson College4-Year College, private87.55%91.25%91.63%--
Duke University4-Year College, private90.77%95.59%96.63%--
Durham Technical Community CollegeCommunity College12.61%-23.87%23%66%
East Carolina University4-Year College, public45.24%62.53%65.14%24%80%
Edgecombe Community CollegeCommunity College26.15%-27.69%--
Elizabeth City State University4-Year College, public24.26%39.11%42.08%26%76%
Elon University4-Year College, private78.94%82.55%83.26%--
Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeCommunity College6.03%-15.99%19%59%
Fayetteville State University4-Year College, public27.50%39.22%43.59%25%70%
Forsyth Technical Community CollegeCommunity College15.94%-28.80%12%63%
Gardner-Webb University4-Year College, private41.44%49.77%51.58%--
Gaston CollegeCommunity College26.21%-43.45%7%75%
Greensboro College4-Year College, private29.32%38.55%40.16%37%59%
Guilford College4-Year College, private40.38%48.93%49.41%36%66%
Guilford Technical Community CollegeCommunity College15.81%-27.85%16%54%
Halifax Community CollegeCommunity College17.19%-28.13%7%54%
Haywood Community CollegeCommunity College21.83%-28.82%8%52%
Heritage Bible College4-Year College, private-----
High Point University4-Year College, private64.07%67.23%67.74%--
Isothermal Community CollegeCommunity College36.50%-53.00%9%69%
James Sprunt Community CollegeCommunity College22.67%-34.67%50%75%
Johnson C Smith University4-Year College, private31.23%38.54%42.86%--
Johnston Community CollegeCommunity College15.46%-47.10%11%50%
Lees-McRae College4-Year College, private41.94%45.16%46.24%32%77%
Lenoir Community CollegeCommunity College18.34%-28.99%17%61%
Lenoir-Rhyne University4-Year College, private39.18%49.57%51.30%--
Leons Beauty School IncTrade School37.06%-64.34%--
Livingstone College4-Year College, private16.93%20.90%24.60%--
Louisburg CollegeCommunity College38.69%-69.34%16%42%
Mars Hill University4-Year College, private32.99%39.43%40.72%13%62%
Martin Community CollegeCommunity College30.19%-47.17%37%65%
Mayland Community CollegeCommunity College24.14%-24.14%24%67%
McDowell Technical Community CollegeCommunity College31.25%-45.00%7%59%
Meredith College4-Year College, private63.03%66.82%67.77%27%77%
Methodist University4-Year College, private29.39%39.53%40.80%43%62%
Miller-Motte College-Wilmington4-Year College, private20.00%-20.00%--
Mitchell Community CollegeCommunity College10.94%-30.08%16%56%
Mitchells AcademyTrade School80.00%-80.00%--
Montgomery Community CollegeCommunity College25.86%-34.48%--
Montreat College4-Year College, private31.68%37.89%40.37%22%62%
University of Mount Olive4-Year College, private39.19%47.62%48.72%--
College of WilmingtonTrade School16.67%-66.67%--
Nash Community CollegeCommunity College32.14%-39.80%--
North Carolina A & T State University4-Year College, public34.31%52.07%56.68%21%74%
University of North Carolina Asheville4-Year College, public44.34%56.41%58.67%32%69%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill4-Year College, public85.11%90.45%91.32%5%96%
University of North Carolina at Charlotte4-Year College, public48.15%67.31%69.96%20%84%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro4-Year College, public38.47%54.97%57.99%26%73%
North Carolina Central University4-Year College, public26.68%41.76%44.24%27%76%
University of North Carolina School of the Arts4-Year College, public80.66%81.60%81.60%12%93%
North Carolina State University at Raleigh4-Year College, public65.02%84.05%85.79%9%94%
North Carolina Wesleyan University4-Year College, private29.25%36.79%38.36%9%66%
University of North Carolina Wilmington4-Year College, public58.62%72.43%74.28%19%83%
Pamlico Community CollegeCommunity College18.18%-18.18%27%63%
William Peace University4-Year College, private36.73%42.35%42.86%43%60%
University of North Carolina at Pembroke4-Year College, public24.93%41.14%45.17%32%72%
Pfeiffer University4-Year College, private30.34%32.58%34.27%43%61%
Piedmont Community CollegeCommunity College20.18%-30.28%16%33%
Pitt Community CollegeCommunity College13.36%-27.63%19%68%
Queens University of Charlotte4-Year College, private62.45%67.51%68.59%--
Randolph Community CollegeCommunity College27.92%-39.62%21%76%
Richmond Community CollegeCommunity College22.99%-34.22%11%67%
Mid-Atlantic Christian University4-Year College, private32.56%46.51%46.51%15%53%
Roanoke-Chowan Community CollegeCommunity College46.67%-46.67%26%73%
Robeson Community CollegeCommunity College27.27%-41.18%16%53%
Rockingham Community CollegeCommunity College13.28%-22.66%17%49%
Rowan-Cabarrus Community CollegeCommunity College15.27%-30.69%15%56%
Saint Augustine's University4-Year College, private14.53%18.90%19.19%--
Salem College4-Year College, private59.80%61.27%61.76%--
Sampson Community CollegeCommunity College8.14%-30.23%20%59%
Sandhills Community CollegeCommunity College29.19%-39.82%16%74%
Shaw University4-Year College, private8.13%12.19%13.75%--
Paul Mitchell the School-FayettevilleTrade School--66.67%--
St. Andrews University4-Year College, private18.75%24.55%27.68%--
Southeastern Community CollegeCommunity College26.79%-37.50%23%67%
Southwestern Community CollegeCommunity College26.50%-45.30%7%58%
Stanly Community CollegeCommunity College20.83%-37.50%13%66%
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary4-Year College, private19.23%53.85%53.85%--
Surry Community CollegeCommunity College14.88%-27.91%18%65%
Alamance Community CollegeCommunity College19.13%-32.51%--
Tri-County Community CollegeCommunity College22.37%-36.84%14%63%
Vance-Granville Community CollegeCommunity College19.46%-31.22%10%72%
Wake Forest University4-Year College, private85.50%89.33%89.64%--
Wake Technical Community CollegeCommunity College16.86%-31.31%16%68%
Warren Wilson College4-Year College, private37.30%42.70%44.86%--
Watts College of Nursing4-Year College, private-----
Wayne Community CollegeCommunity College30.74%-48.52%17%80%
Western Piedmont Community CollegeCommunity College39.50%-39.50%14%67%
Wilkes Community CollegeCommunity College40.41%-54.57%12%66%
Wilson Community CollegeCommunity College3.41%-22.73%1%62%
Wingate University4-Year College, private48.96%53.61%57.30%32%69%
Carolina Christian College4-Year College, private-----
Winston Salem Barber SchoolTrade School62.03%-62.03%--
Winston-Salem State University4-Year College, public34.79%46.38%49.57%28%77%
Western Carolina University4-Year College, public43.41%58.28%60.59%28%71%
Pinnacle Institute of CosmetologyTrade School33.33%-50.00%--
Carolinas College of Health Sciences4-Year College, public---66%0%
Gwinnett CollegeTrade School50.60%-71.08%--
NASCAR Technical InstituteCommunity College14.11%-49.52%--
Hood Theological Seminary4-Year College, private-----
Paul Mitchell the School-GastoniaTrade School5.00%-51.67%--
Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary4-Year College, private25.00%-25.00%--
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte4-Year College, private34.39%39.56%41.15%21%64%
Empire Beauty School-ConcordTrade School--35.29%--
Southeastern College-CharlotteCommunity College56.00%-56.00%--
Strayer University-North Carolina4-Year College, private28.57%-28.57%--
Aveda Institute-Chapel HillTrade School12.50%-70.31%--
Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts4-Year College, private-----
Center for MassageTrade School42.22%-75.56%--
Miller-Motte College-RaleighCommunity College27.70%-37.41%--
Health And Style InstituteCommunity College0.94%-37.74%--
Miller-Motte College-FayettevilleCommunity College35.64%-39.27%--
Empire Beauty School-CharlotteTrade School3.23%-45.16%--
Empire Beauty School-Winston-SalemTrade School--7.41%--
Empire Beauty School-PinevilleTrade School--38.46%--
Carolina College of Hair Design IncTrade School22.41%-84.48%--
Miller-Motte College-JacksonvilleCommunity College58.19%-62.02%--
Carolina College of Biblical Studies4-Year College, private-----
Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine4-Year College, private-----
Shepherds Theological Seminary4-Year College, private-----
Manna University4-Year College, private-----
Paul Mitchell the School-RaleighTrade School13.04%-69.57%--
Empire Beauty School-West GreensboroTrade School--26.83%--
MyComputerCareer at RaleighCommunity College72.38%-72.38%2%76%
South University-High Point4-Year College, private---25%0%
DeVry University-North Carolina4-Year College, private50.00%-50.00%33%0%
Alexander Paul Institute of Hair DesignTrade School22.22%-88.89%--
Beyond Measure Barbering InstituteTrade School75.00%-75.00%--
Chamberlain University-North Carolina4-Year College, private100.00%-100.00%--
Carolina University4-Year College, private28.57%32.14%32.14%--
Bull City Durham Beauty and Barber CollegeTrade School12.50%-62.50%--
No Grease Barber SchoolTrade School23.08%-92.31%--
Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College4-Year College, private26.67%-26.67%36%75%
Elevate Salon InstituteTrade School--60.61%3%75%
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-CharlotteCommunity College70.00%-70.00%--
Gaston CollegeCommunity College-----
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary-Nash County Extension Center4-Year College, private-----
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary-Wake County Extension CenterCommunity College-----
Winston - Salem Barber School - SatelliteTrade School-----
South College-Asheville4-Year College, private-----
Union Presbyterian Seminary-Charlotte4-Year College, private-----
ECPI University-Greensboro4-Year College, private-----
ECPI University-Charlotte4-Year College, private-----
ECPI University-Raleigh4-Year College, private-----
Galen Health Institutes-Asheville4-Year College, private-----
Strayer University-North Charlotte4-Year College, private-----
Strayer University-South Charlotte4-Year College, private-----
Strayer University-North Raleigh Campus4-Year College, private-----
Strayer University-South Raleigh Campus4-Year College, private-----