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Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina

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2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina

19 Schools Ranked
$19,104 Avg Student Debt

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamp that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 19 schools in North Carolina to see which ones offered the best graduate certificate programs for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
$59,141 Average Tuition & Fees
$17,440 Avg Student Debt

Our 2023 rankings named Duke University the best school in North Carolina for students working on their graduate certificate.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,440 in student loans.

Online graduate courses are available at Duke, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 2% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Duke University

#2

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
$11,703 Average Tuition & Fees
$18,885 Avg Student Debt

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means North Carolina State University is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,885 in student loans.

Online graduate courses are available at NC State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 78% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on North Carolina State University

#3

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
$39,240 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina list.

Online graduate courses are available at Wake Forest University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 67% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#4

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
$7,713 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina list.

Online graduate courses are available at UNC Charlotte, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 82% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#5

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
$8,007 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Appalachian State University is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate.

Online graduate courses are available at Appalachian State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 86% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#6

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina
$7,594 Average Tuition & Fees

East Carolina University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at ECU. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 80% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full East Carolina University Report

#7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
$12,566 Average Tuition & Fees
$16,691 Avg Student Debt

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,691 in student loans.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UNC Chapel Hill. During the 2019-2020 year, about 77% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report

#8

Pfeiffer University

Misenheimer, North Carolina

Pfeiffer University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #8 on the list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Pfeiffer University. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 70% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#9

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina
$7,514 Average Tuition & Fees

University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UNCW. During the 2019-2020 year, about 88% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full University of North Carolina at Wilmington Report

#10

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
$8,265 Average Tuition & Fees

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Online graduate courses are available at UNC Greensboro, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 80% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Report

#11

Wingate University

Wingate, North Carolina

Wingate University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Wingate does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 18% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Wingate University Report

#12

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
$14,166 Average Tuition & Fees

Queens University of Charlotte did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #12 on the list.

Online graduate courses are available at Queens, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Queens University of Charlotte Report

#13

Winston - Salem State University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
$6,718 Average Tuition & Fees

Winston - Salem State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #13 on the list.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since WSSU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 89% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#14

Gardner - Webb University

Boiling Springs, North Carolina
$10,130 Average Tuition & Fees

Gardner - Webb University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #14 on the list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Gardner - Webb. During the 2019-2020 year, about 59% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#15

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
$7,480 Average Tuition & Fees

Western Carolina University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina list.

WCU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 87% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Western Carolina University Report

#16

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina
$7,938 Average Tuition & Fees

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since NC A&T does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 82% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#17

Strayer University - North Carolina

Morrisville, North Carolina
$15,135 Average Tuition & Fees

Strayer University - North Carolina came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking.

If you are interested in distance education, Strayer University - North Carolina is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.

Full Strayer University - North Carolina Report

#18

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
$5,835 Average Tuition & Fees

Fayetteville State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina list.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Fayetteville State University. In fact, around 89% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#19

Methodist University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
$41,428 Average Tuition & Fees

Methodist University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Read full report on Methodist University

View Best Graduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 19 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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