These Three North Carolina Universities Rank In Top U.S. Colleges

When it comes to National Universities, three North Carolina colleges rank in the top 30 best in the country. Duke University, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University make the list of U.S. News & World Report for Best Colleges.

According to U.S. News, schools in the National Universities category have a lot to offer. These offerings include a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral programs. And that's not all. These colleges also are committed to producing groundbreaking research.

There are a number of factors considered to determine the rankings. Factors like graduation and retention rates and social mobility (which measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants – typically from households earning less than $50,000 annually).

College rankings were also rated on graduation rate performance, and reputation of undergraduates by their peers. They look at how students are selected to enter the college, meaning how they ranked in high school.

Financial resources, average alumni giving rate and portion of graduates with debt were also factors for ranking.

See some of the top U.S. Colleges below including the North Carolina universities that made the cut.

(Rankings by U.S. News & World Report)

Princeton University is a private institution that was founded in 1746. As of fall 2021, it has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,321. Its tuition and fees are $57,410.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located outside of Boston. It's a private institution, founded in 1861. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,638. Its tuition and fees are $57,986.

Located outside of Boston in Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University is a private institution that was founded in 1636. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,153. Tuition fees are $57,261.

The private institution founded in 1885 sits on over 8,000 acres. Stanford University is a private institution that was founded in 1885. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,645 

The University of Chicago is situated in Hyde Park, which offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting. It's a private institution that was founded in 1890. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,526.

Johns Hopkins University is a private institution that was founded in 1876. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,132. Its tuition and fees are $60,480. The University is unique, in that it is divided into nine schools, five of which serve undergraduates.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution, founded in 1789. It is one of the larger universities with a total undergraduate enrollment of 19,897 (fall 2021). It's also known as UNC or 'Carolina.'

Wake Forest University is a private institution that was founded in 1834. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,472. Its tuition and fees are $62,128.

Founded by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania is a private institution that was founded in 1740. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,962.Its tuition and fees are $63,452.

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is a private institution that has liberal arts and engineering programs for undergraduates. Its tuition and fees are $63,054.