Major gains for nursing program; top HBCU and region recognitions
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is making headlines in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings.
The Eagles have landed at the No. 15 spot among the top historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and earned a No. 34 position for best value southern regional universities.
But that’s just the beginning. NCCU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has achieved a remarkable leap of 218 places to No. 254 in the nation, now ranking No. 5 among HBCUs nationwide. Within the state of North Carolina, the program ranks No. 2 among HBCUs and No. 9 overall.
Accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the program includes three tracks of study - traditional, accelerated and RN-BSN, with the RN-BSN track available online. May 2024 graduates of NCCU's nursing program achieved a National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) pass rate of 93.3%, surpassing the national average of 92.7% for first-time exam takers.
The progress of the nursing program is fueled by the Project Kitty Hawk initiative, aimed at online adult learners. It has seen an astounding 2,000% increase in enrollment. Other available online programs of study include business administration, health administration, information technology and public health education.
“The national recognition of North Carolina Central University and extraordinary growth of our degree programs through the Project Kitty Hawk initiative reflects our commitment to excellence and our mission to provide transformative opportunities for every learner,” said Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon. “At NCCU, we are not just making progress — we are setting new benchmarks for success and redefining what is possible in higher education.”
NCCU continues as a trailblazer within the University of North Carolina System, marking an impressive 7.71% increase in enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic year, the largest percentage increase in the System. This growth includes the largest freshman class in history, a 24% rise in online learners, a 13% boost in adult learners and a 36% increase in military-affiliated students.
Other notable rankings in the southern region category include:
- No. 14 best college for veterans.
- No. 15 top public school.
- No. 18 top performer on social mobility.
The 2025 rankings were based on 17 measures of academic quality, including social mobility, graduation rates, graduate indebtedness and post-graduate earnings.
More details regarding the ‘Best Colleges’ listings are available at https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings.
