6 Best Universities in Raleigh, NC [2026 Rankings]

Top 6 universities in Raleigh ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 5.16M citations received by 168K academic publications made by 6 universities from Raleigh, the popularity of 481 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

#3 in North Carolina

#44 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1385
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 69%

2. Meredith College

#23 in North Carolina

#916 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1223
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $24,323

3. Shaw University

#34 in North Carolina

#1231 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Net Price: $16,445
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $14,417

4. William Peace University

#43 in North Carolina

#1501 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1153
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,216

5. Saint Augustine's University

#54 in North Carolina

#2004 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Net Price: $19,688
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $13,246

6. Living Arts College

#65 in North Carolina

#2359 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $23,814
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $6,101

Universities near Raleigh

Distance, km 📏 km	University	Country rank 🏆	City
12	Shepherds Theological Seminary	2175	Cary, North Carolina
22	Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary	1331	Wake Forest, North Carolina
29	North Carolina Central University	445	Durham, North Carolina
33	Duke University	27	Durham, North Carolina
38	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	24	Chapel Hill, North Carolina
46	Campbell University	546	Buies Creek, North Carolina
57	Heritage Bible College	2336	Dunn, North Carolina
67	Barton College	1504	Wilson, North Carolina
79	Methodist University	1082	Fayetteville, North Carolina
82	North Carolina Wesleyan College	1614	Rocky Mount, North Carolina