The state of North Carolina boasts a diverse variety of colleges available for all types of people. Students are able to live in very different cities ranging from the mountainous Boone to the coastal area near Wilmington. High school graduates from all over the country can find a college to fall in love with anywhere in our state, regardless of their academic aptitude.

North Carolina’s coastal schools are some of the state’s most appealing institutions. Wilmington houses two separate academies in Cape Fear Community College and UNC Wilmington. Cape Fear is a phenomenal choice for all GPA ranges intending to save money while they earn their degree. The school also offers Associate Degree transfer programs in the sciences and fine arts for those looking to continue their education at a four year university. UNC Wilmington is on the rise as an academic powerhouse as 81% of their accepted students came in with a GPA higher than 3.75. The school offers many popular majors from business, to nursing, to biomedical sciences. Eastern Carolina University is another coastal school, but it is located in Greenville. Though it is 30 minutes away from most beaches, the town feels like a coastal city. ECU accepts students with GPA’s as low as 2.5, making it a great option for many.

The Piedmont area offers four of North Carolina’s most popular colleges: North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Duke, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Junior Nick Morgan said, “I want to go to UNC Chapel Hill. I’m really familiar with the area and have family there, but I still love the school itself.”  Duke and UNC Chapel Hill are both prestigious and renowned over the entire country. 90% of attendees at the two schools enter with GPA’s of 3.75 or higher, making them tough to get in. That may sound intimidating, but there are a plethora of schools still available near Raleigh. Wake Tech Community College offers a variety of classes for almost any degree. The community college offers a two year transfer plan similar to Cape Fear’s for science and art degrees as well. Shaw University and Meredith College are both unique, as Shaw is known as historically black while Meredith is an all-girls school for undergraduate degrees. Exactly half of Shaw University students were accepted with GPA’s between 2.0 and 2.49 making it one of the easier schools to get into. The majority of Meredith College students applied with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.49, though William Peace University is great for those wanting to go to a small school in the area as students of all GPA ranges attend.

The mountains of North Carolina are a popular feature of the state. UNC Asheville, Western Carolina and Appalachian State are three top-notch schools in the region. Asheville is a much safer school to apply to as 84% of students at Appalachian State came in with a GPA above 3.75. Only 19% of Asheville students were as such, while 50% of Western Carolina students were of that aptitude. Asheville-Buncombe Community College is another great school which includes engineering in its transfer programs, something that Cape Fear and Wake Tech do not.

The schools in those specific regions are not all our area has to offer. There are over a hundred more universities to choose from in North Carolina. Regardless of your academic aptitudes or landscape preference, everyone can find a college in Tar Heel State to fall in love with.