11 North Carolina schools are among the best colleges in the U.S., WalletHub says

Eleven North Carolina higher-education schools secured spots on WalletHub’s best colleges and universities list for 2024.

Duke University earned top-10 honors, getting sixth place among the nation’s top colleges and universities. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was next for the state ranking at No. 61.

Comparing over 800 colleges and universities, WalletHub ranked American higher-education institutions based on 30 key measures across these seven distinct categories:

1. Student selectivity

2. Cost and financing

3. Faculty resources

4. Campus Safety

5. Campus experience

6. Educational outcomes

7. Career outcomes

Yale ranked No. 1 nationally, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, California Institute of Technology, and Harvard making the top five.

The purpose of the study was to identify top-performing schools existing at the lowest possible cost, WalletHub said. Data analyzed by the personal finance company is applicable to undergraduate students only.

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How North Carolina schools ranked on WalletHub's list

Here are the North Carolina schools that made the top 500 in WalletHub’s list of best American colleges and universities:

• No. 6 Duke University

• No. 61 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• No. 70 Davidson College

• No. 82 North Carolina State University

• No. 278 Meredith College

• No. 291 Queens University of Charlotte

• No. 326 University of North Carolina Wilmington

• No. 384 Lees-McRae College

• No. 395 Appalachian State University

• No. 416 University of North Carolina Asheville

• No. 493 University of North Carolina Charlotte

Top 10 schools ranked by WalletHub

1. Yale University

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3. Princeton University

4. California Institute of Technology

5. Harvard University

6. Duke University

7. Rice University

8. Northwestern University

9. Johns Hopkins University

10. Stanford University

Two North Carolina schools ranked among highest for student-loan default rate, one ranked among the lowest

Davidson College tied with five other schools for the lowest student-loan default rate, alongside Augustana University, California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College, and Colby College.

A five-way tie for highest student-loan default rate included two North Carolina schools: Chowan University and Livingstone College. The tie also included Bethune-Cookman University, Brewton-Parker College, and South Carolina State University.

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Best and worst admission rates

California Institute of Technology and Harvard University shared the nation’s lowest admission rate. Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University tied for third.

Six colleges shared the ranking for the lowest admissions rate: Emmaus Bible College, Le Moyne-Owen College, Middle Georgia State University Nyack College, Roberts Wesleyan College, and Southwest Baptist University.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: North Carolina schools make WalletHub best colleges & universities list