College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major1
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
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RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: North CarolinaMajor: Computer scienceClear all

24 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Duke University

    #1 in North Carolina
    Durham, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 17,112 students

    About $30,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    Davidson College

    Exceptional: Compass grade A+
    Davidson, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,904 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Exceptional: Compass grade A+
    Chapel Hill, NC · Public · 4-year · 32,234 students

    About $12,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 4%

    Wake Forest University

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 9,121 students

    About $29,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 7%

    North Carolina State University at Raleigh

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Raleigh, NC · Public · 4-year · 37,323 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 13%

    Elon University

    Top 8% for graduation
    Elon, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 7,207 students

    About $42,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value FairAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 15%

    University of North Carolina Wilmington

    Excellent: Compass grade A-
    Wilmington, NC · Public · 4-year · 17,987 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 21%

    Appalachian State University

    Top 15% for graduation
    Boone, NC · Public · 4-year · 21,253 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 22%

    High Point University

    Top 16% for graduation
    High Point, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 6,052 students

    About $39,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 25%

    University of North Carolina at Charlotte

    Top 22% for graduation
    Charlotte, NC · Public · 4-year · 30,298 students

    About $15,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 26%

    Meredith College

    Top 21% for graduation
    Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,576 students

    About $22,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.All-femaleAll-female: the school enrolls women only.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 34%

    East Carolina University

    #17 in North Carolina
    Greenville, NC · Public · 4-year · 26,785 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 40%

    Western Carolina University

    #18 in North Carolina
    Cullowhee, NC · Public · 4-year · 11,628 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    University of North Carolina Asheville

    Top 22% for low net price
    Asheville, NC · Public · 4-year · 2,925 students

    About $12,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    University of North Carolina at Greensboro

    Top 18% for low net price
    Greensboro, NC · Public · 4-year · 17,743 students

    About $11,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 45%

    North Carolina A & T State University

    Top 17% for low net price
    Greensboro, NC · Public · 4-year · 13,885 students

    About $11,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Gardner-Webb University

    #27 in North Carolina
    Boiling Springs, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,125 students

    About $18,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Elizabeth City State University

    Top 7% for low net price
    Elizabeth City, NC · Public · 4-year · 2,165 students

    About $6,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Methodist University

    #33 in North Carolina
    Fayetteville, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,768 students

    About $25,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Carolina University

    #36 in North Carolina
    Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 893 students

    About $21,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Fair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    University of North Carolina at Pembroke

    Top 16% for low net price
    Pembroke, NC · Public · 4-year · 7,630 students

    About $10,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Winston-Salem State University

    #43 in North Carolina
    Winston-Salem, NC · Public · 4-year · 4,776 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Fayetteville State University

    Top 10% for low net price
    Fayetteville, NC · Public · 4-year · 6,847 students

    About $8,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Fair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Shaw University

    #55 in North Carolina
    Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 962 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Fair

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