Bearing the proud designation of the first public university in the United States, the University of North Carolina has 17 locations in various cities of North Carolina. Cities with universities sharing the University of North Carolina name include Asheville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Pembroke and Wilmington. Winston-Salem hosts two universities affiliated with the University of North Carolina: the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Winston-Salem State University. East Carolina University makes its home in Greenville while Western Carolina University serves Cullowhee. Greensboro has a double dose of UNC with North Carolina A&T State University. In the Raleigh-Durham area, North Carolina Central University in Durham and North Carolina State University in Raleigh partner with UNC. Additionally, Appalachian State University in Boone, Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City and Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville all are affiliated with UNC.
In addition to its association of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte boasts three additional private universities in the area. Artists can study at the Art Institute of Charlotte. For a liberal arts education, many students choose Johnson C. Smith University. Queens University of Charlotte offers several majors, including business, teaching and nursing. Wingate University, located in the Wingate suburb of Charlotte, gives students a choice between 32 majors.
Durham, North Carolina, is home to a sports powerhouse: Duke University. In addition to athletics, this private university also finds fame in research and academics. Raleigh is the location of Shaw University. Affiliated with the Baptist Church, Shaw prides itself on its status as the first African-American university in the South.
Located in the city of Elon in northern North Carolina, Elon University, a private school, offers education in liberal arts, sciences and professional fields.
Wake Forest University, another northern North Carolina school, is located in Winston-Salem. This private university features liberal arts and encourages research. In the central part of the state, Campbell University, located in Buies Creek, offers small classes, with a faculty to student ratio of 1:19.
In western North Carolina, Gardner-Webb University, a private Baptist college in Boiling Springs, educates students in liberal arts. The private Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory gives a choice of more than 50 majors. High Point University, a private school in High Point, made Forbes Best Colleges List in 2010.
Travelers to the southern part of the state will find Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer. Pfeiffer prides itself on making education affordable. Also in southern North Carolina, Methodist University in Fayetteville is a private school. Although affiliated with the Methodist Church, Methodist University has a non-denominational policy.