By Quiana Shepard
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) strengthens its national standing, ranking No. 6 among public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) and maintaining its No. 13 HBCU ranking in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges report.
For the first time, NCCU enters into the national universities category, ranking No. 75 nationally for social mobility and highlighting the university’s role in helping students build better futures through education and opportunity.
“The U.S. News & World Report rankings mirror the momentum we’re building at NCCU,” said Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon. “We’re raising the bar by challenging convention and redefining what is possible for the students we serve.”
The national recognition comes as NCCU celebrates a milestone: enrollment surpassed 10,000 students for the first time in the university’s history. Overall enrollment grew by 9.1%, showing increased demand for its flexible academic programs and its commitment to serving students at every stage of their education journey. NCCU once again leads all University of North Carolina System institutions in fall enrollment percentage growth.
As the Triangle’s public HBCU, NCCU continues to expand access through online education, its fastest-growing area, with enrollment through NCCU Online and the Project Kitty Hawk partnership increasing 81%. The university also welcomed 2,590 first-time undergraduate, new transfer and second-degree students, an increase of 13%.
Graduate enrollment increased by 3.1%, while military-affiliated students rose 13.2% compared to fall 2025.
Student success is also growing alongside enrollment. First-year student retention increased to 78.5%, a gain of 3.2%.
The 2027 rankings were based on 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, peer assessment, graduation rate performance, financial resources, faculty salaries.
More details regarding the ‘Best Colleges’ listings are available at https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings.
