Private Colleges in North Carolina, Ranked by Acceptance Rate
North Carolina has 23 private colleges in the CollegeCalcAI database. The most selective is Duke University at 6%; the most accessible is Barton College at 94%, and the median private college in the state admits 75%. 3 schools admit 30% of applicants or fewer. Private colleges set their own aid policies, so the sticker price on this list says little about what a family actually pays; the acceptance rate says a lot about where to apply.
- Duke University6%acceptanceMost selectiveNC · SAT 1570
- Davidson College13%acceptanceHighly selectiveNC · SAT 1470
- Wake Forest University22%acceptanceHighly selectiveNC · SAT 1490
- Carolina University40%acceptanceSelectiveNC · SAT 1120
- Johnson C. Smith University45%acceptanceSelectiveNC · SAT 1020
- Livingstone College59%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1020
- Queens University of Charlotte62%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1200
- Elon University66%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1300
- Mars Hill University68%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1150
- Chowan University69%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1150
- Montreat College69%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1120
- High Point University75%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1220
- Belmont Abbey College75%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1150
- Catawba College75%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1150
- Mount Olive University76%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1150
- Gardner-Webb University77%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1100
- Lees-McRae College77%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1150
- Guilford College80%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1230
- Shaw University80%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1020
- Lenoir-Rhyne University85%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1150
- Campbell University87%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1180
- Wingate University91%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1150
- Barton College94%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1150
Your chances at these colleges
Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.
Which of the Private Colleges in North Carolina can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?
By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 20 of the 23 colleges here, including Carolina University, Johnson C. Smith University and Livingstone College. 1 more is a Target (25 to 44%), such as Wake Forest University. The other 2 are Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.
Cite or embed this list
Free to quote with attribution. The stat card links back to this list.
CollegeCalcAI. "Private Colleges in North Carolina, Ranked by Acceptance Rate." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/private-colleges-in-north-carolina
Free to cite and reuse with attribution and a link.
<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/private-colleges-in-north-carolina?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff"><span style="display:block;font-size:30px;font-weight:800;color:#0F766E;line-height:1">75%</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:6px;font-size:13px;color:#475569">median acceptance rate, private colleges in north carolina, ranked by acceptance rate (23 schools)</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:8px;font-size:11px;color:#94A3B8">Source: CollegeCalcAI</span></a>
Keep exploring
More ways to cut the data.
Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.