41 Best Engineering schools in North Carolina

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in North Carolina ranked based on their research performance in Engineering. A graph of 11.8M citations received by 320K academic papers made by 41 universities in North Carolina was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh

For Engineering

#35 in the United States

#39 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Average SAT: 1380
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 68%

2. Duke University

Durham

For Engineering

#41 in the United States

#46 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $23,422

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

For Engineering

#43 in the United States

#48 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 58%

4. Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem

For Engineering

#129 in the United States

#153 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $27,790

5. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte

For Engineering

#160 in the United States

#188 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1215
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 72%

6. East Carolina University

Greenville

For Engineering

#199 in the United States

#229 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 79%

7. North Carolina A&T State University

Greensboro

For Engineering

#245 in the United States

#278 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 96%

8. University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro

For Engineering

#253 in the United States

#288 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 90%

9. University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington

For Engineering

#311 in the United States

#352 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 72%

10. Appalachian State University

Boone

For Engineering

#337 in the United States

#380 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 70%

11. North Carolina Central University

Durham

For Engineering

#475 in the United States

#528 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1040
Average ACT: 18
Receiving Aid: 96%

12. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee

For Engineering

#485 in the United States

#538 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1155
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

13. Davidson College

Davidson

For Engineering

#544 in the United States

#598 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1435
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $26,510

14. Elon University

Elon

For Engineering

#579 in the United States

#634 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1224
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $41,849

15. University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville

For Engineering

#612 in the United States

#667 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 93%

16. University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke

For Engineering

#617 in the United States

#672 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $7,008
Enrollment: 7,630

17. St. Andrews University

Laurinburg

For Engineering

#643 in the United States

#702 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $31,503
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $18,206

18. Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem

For Engineering

#652 in the United States

#711 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 935
Average ACT: 16
Receiving Aid: 96%

19. Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville

For Engineering

#695 in the United States

#757 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 950
Average ACT: 18
Receiving Aid: 95%

20. Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte

For Engineering

#758 in the United States

#822 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $27,178

21. Campbell University

Buies Creek

For Engineering

#838 in the United States

#903 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Net Price: $24,517
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $34,413

22. High Point University

High Point

For Engineering

#863 in the United States

#930 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $43,578

23. Methodist University

Fayetteville

For Engineering

#921 in the United States

#989 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $25,786

24. Greensboro College

Greensboro

For Engineering

#960 in the United States

#1029 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Net Price: $19,783
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $14,676

25. Guilford College

Greensboro

For Engineering

#974 in the United States

#1043 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $22,620

26. Meredith College

Raleigh

For Engineering

#1014 in the United States

#1085 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $23,405

27. Piedmont International University

Winston-Salem

For Engineering

#1022 in the United States

#1093 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Net Price: $19,111
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $11,743

28. Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City

For Engineering

#1032 in the United States

#1103 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $10,554
Enrollment: 2,165

29. Wingate University

Wingate

For Engineering

#1059 in the United States

#1130 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $21,464

30. Pfeiffer University

Misenheimer

For Engineering

#1132 in the United States

#1206 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Net Price: $21,402
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $25,458

31. Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte

For Engineering

#1148 in the United States

#1223 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Net Price: $19,326
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $14,883

32. Salem College

Winston-Salem

For Engineering

#1260 in the United States

#1338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1197
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,000

33. University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive

For Engineering

#1272 in the United States

#1350 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $17,893
Receiving Aid: 100%

34. Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs

For Engineering

#1308 in the United States

#1386 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $24,035

35. Warren Wilson College

Swannanoa

For Engineering

#1351 in the United States

#1430 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $27,913
Receiving Aid: 99%

36. Catawba College

Salisbury

For Engineering

#1352 in the United States

#1431 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1098
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $18,319

37. Bennett College

Greensboro

For Engineering

#1381 in the United States

#1461 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Average SAT: 902
Net Price: $20,928
Receiving Aid: 100%

38. Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory

For Engineering

#1406 in the United States

#1486 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Net Price: $24,042
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $33,874

39. Shaw University

Raleigh

For Engineering

#1432 in the United States

#1513 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Net Price: $14,111
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $15,568

40. Livingstone College

Salisbury

For Engineering

#1479 in the United States

#1561 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Net Price: $15,162
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $13,065

41. Mars Hill University

Mars Hill

For Engineering

#1507 in the United States

#1592 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Net Price: $19,842
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $28,914

Closest to North Carolina states to learn Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
South Carolina	28	82
Virginia	42	33
West Virginia	18	111
Georgia	47	10
District of Columbia	10	102
Maryland	27	18
Kentucky	25	70
Tennessee	34	55
Delaware	3	59
Ohio	60	23
Pennsylvania	104	12
Alabama	26	92
New Jersey	28	19
Indiana	32	17
Florida	59	27
Connecticut	20	29
Illinois	70	6
New York	137	8
Mississippi	14	124
Rhode Island	9	64
Massachusetts	69	2
Michigan	36	5
Arkansas	18	119
Vermont	13	135
Missouri	36	49
New Hampshire	11	99
Louisiana	24	79
Wisconsin	32	13
Iowa	29	42
Maine	14	181
Oklahoma	20	94
Kansas	13	96
Minnesota	27	15
Nebraska	12	76
Texas	76	11
South Dakota	8	231
North Dakota	8	168
Colorado	21	36
Puerto Rico	15	277
New Mexico	9	88
Montana	8	157
Utah	12	45
Arizona	10	32
Idaho	7	152
Nevada	7	132
Oregon	17	71
California	134	1
Washington	31	7
Alaska	4	184
Hawaii	7	121