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Top North Carolina Small Colleges and Universities

Salem College, Davidson College, Warren Wilson College, Guilford College, Meredith College



Ranging from picturesque coastal towns to bustling metropolitan urban centers, back to rolling mountain ranges, North Carolina has a bit of it all. From big city universities to small town or mid-sized city small colleges and universities, North Carolina helps students find the ideal location to study based not only upon their field of interest, but their personal environmental preferences. Located on the Atlantic Seaboard in what is known as ‘The South,’ North Carolina not only has a landscape, but a culture that’s all its own. From its days as a Spanish colonial settlement, to its present status as a growing economic force with an emphasis on quality educational programs, it’s no wonder North Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the country.



Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Salem College is a liberal arts women’s college that was originally founded as a primary school in 1772. With the distinction of being the oldest continuous female educational establishment still in existence today, Salem College has made the concession in recent years of accepting men over 23 years of age, but only into the Continuing Education program. Ranked on the Forbes list of the country’s best college, Salem features independent liberal arts and professional preparation curricula with a focus on not only individual academic, but character development. From the historic Moravian community of Old Salem in which Salem College is located, to the rural setting and small student enrollment of just over 1,000 students, Salem students are able to focus in on the tranquility of the local area and their studies. Areas of academic specialty include undergraduate programs in the fields of Education, Non-Profit Management, American studies, and International Relations. Unique to Salem College is a large population of students from abroad, including large numbers of students from countries like Nepal, and Ethiopia. Special programs like the Salem Signature Program help women develop important leadership skills through community and campus projects and activities. Salem College participates in NCAA Division III basketball, cross-country, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball intercollegiate athletic varsity sports.

The Wildcats of Davidson College study at this small private, liberal arts college, located in Davidson, North Carolina. The Alma matter of 23 Rhodes Scholars, the school has been ranked as one of the ten top liberal arts colleges in the prestigious United States by US News and World Report, and appears at the top of lists generated by The Princeton Review, Newsweek, Forbes, and Kiplinger’s. Founded in 1837 and established by Presbyterians, today Davidson only maintains a slight Presbyterian affiliation. Top educational and popular academic programs of study include law, medicine, and government related fields of study. Only co-educational since 1973, today Davidson maintains a highly selective number of men and women enrollees. A strict honor code is enforced for all students, and once bound by this oath students are entrusted with utmost freedom, and are even able to schedule and proctor their own final exams, or “reviews” as they’re known at Davidson. Students at Davidson may choose from more than 20 majors, including such fields as Chemistry, Anthropology, Classics, Music, Political Science, Religion, and Theater. A proud campus feature is the Duke Family Performance Hall, opened in 2002 by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Davidson red and black Wildcats compete in 21 NCAA Division I sports, with 11 men’s and 10 women’s teams ranging in everything from soccer and basketball to a champion croquet team.

The small liberal arts college of Warren Wilson is nestled into the Swannanoa Valley of North Carolina. Nearby Asheville is the nearest major urban center. Celebrated for its curriculum which emphasizes not just classroom learning but service, and real world experience known as the ‘Triad,’ Warren Wilson College students must meet strict requirements to qualify for graduation after four years. Such requirements include completing 100 hours of community service, completing the required coursework, and participating in an on-campus job. With a working farm on campus, Warren Wilson is one of the few members of the Work Colleges Consortium that requires student labor for graduation. Originally opened as the Asheville Farm School, Warren Wilson began with only 25 male students. Today, this four-year college hosts about 900 enrollees at any given time, and offers six majors and awards Bachelor’s degrees in areas like Outdoor Leadership and Environmental Studies, as well as more traditional fields of study such as English or various sciences. In order to receive a Bachelor of Science degree, students must present a Natural Science Seminar, often at the North Carolina Academy of Science conference. Warren Wilson College features an extremely ‘green’ campus, and has one of the world’s only completely ‘green’ or completely environmentally friendly EcoDorm complexes.

Founded in 1837 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Guildford College is an independent liberal arts college known for its emphasis on service learning, social responsibility, community, and student-centered learning. Amongst the oldest institutions of higher learning in North Carolina, Guilford College has an original approach to both learning and instruction, featuring techniques like Principles Problem Solving as guided by the Center for Principled Problem Solving. Students may choose from nearly 40 major fields of study, and are encouraged to pursue their area of interest in depth. Highly individualized programs of study are in fact encouraged, and acceptance to Guilford is generally based on a student’s self-directedness, and dedication to his or her academic interests. Faculty advisers are assigned to students to help guide them through their educational journey. More traditional lecture, laboratory, and classroom based student learning is offered as well as independent study. Although governed by Quaker principals, students from all religious backgrounds are accepted at Guilford. Guilford is also known as one of the ‘greenest’ campuses in the country. Guildford students compete in NCAA Division III athletics in men’s and women’s sports like basketball, golf and tennis.

Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Meredith College is a liberal arts women’s college which enrolls just under 2,000 undergraduate students. Chartered by the First Baptist Church in 1891, Meredith College today resides on a 225 acre campus nearby North Carolina State 911勛圖厙 in Raleigh. As a mark of pride and honor Meredith ‘girls’ wear a black onyx class ring featuring a design by Ann Lovell which has been used since 1953. Academics at Meredith College feature more than 60 major and minor areas of study, including the most popular majors or Interior Design, General Psychology, and Business Administration. Students work towards Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Social Work degrees. A strong Undergraduate Research Program helps students to work with a faculty member to complete academic research in the field of their choosing. Individual student research projects are funded by the college, and even the costs of travelling to present findings at conferences and events around the country are covered by Meredith College. A campus laptop program provides each student with a new IBM ThinkPad, and access to a campus-wide wireless internet network. The Meredith College Avenging Angels field six NCAA Division III athletic teams, including soccer, softball, cross-country, basketball, volleyball and tennis.

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