Rankings & Recognitions
ECU is the only university in North Carolina with a Dental School, a Medical School,
and a College of Engineering and Technology at the same institution.
ECU is repeatedly recognized as one of America’s top colleges.
(US News, Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Money Magazine)
ECU has the widest range of academic programs in North Carolina.
- 84 Bachelor’s, 68 Master’s, and 19 Doctoral & Professional degree programs
- 106 Certificate programs
ECU has North Carolina’s largest College of Business with a top undergraduate school of Entrepreneurship
(Princeton Review)
ECU is a national leader in delivering high quality and affordable
online and in-classroom education. (Educate to Career)
Newsweek America’s Top Online Colleges:
2022, 2023, & 2024
U.S. News:
Online Master’s in Nursing, Top 10% in the nation & tied for #1 among NC publics; Online Master’s in Criminal Justice programs, #1 in NC; Online Master’s in Education, Top 20% in the nation
Best Value Schools (US News):
Best Bang for the Buck College, Southeast (Washington Monthly); Top 10 NC Colleges for Value (Smart Asset)
ECU is consistently recognized as a Military-Friendly University (Military Times Best for Vets) and a Best College for Veterans (US News)
with some of the best online graduate programs for veterans in the nation (US News)
Top 10 North Carolina colleges for starting salaries
(Smart Asset 2022)
Graduates working in North Carolina are earning above average early career salaries
(NCTower)
Consistently recognized as a top school for social mobility
(Social Mobility Index, Washington Monthly, US News, Third Way)
ECU makes a difference in the health of the region, the state, and the nation.
- #1 in North Carolina for new nurses
- #1 in North Carolina for allied health professionals
- Top 20% of programs in the nation: ECU’s undergraduate Nursing program (U.S. News)
- #1 in North Carolina (U.S. News) for medical school diversity, percentage of graduates practicing in primary care, percentage of graduates practicing in rural areas, and percentage of graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas
- ECU’s Brody School of Medicine among the top medical schools in the nation for diversity, primary care education, percentage of graduates practicing in primary care, and percentage of graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas (U.S. News)
- Healthcare program licensure exam pass rates that exceed the national average
Environmental Sustainability
- Green College (Princeton Review)
- Silver Institution (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education)
Civic and Community Engagement
- Best college for student voting (Washington Monthly)
- Top 20% of colleges in the nation for Community Service (Washington Monthly)
- Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
Campus Culture
- 2023 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization (Association of International Educators)
- Top 5% of colleges in the nation for Free Speech (Foundation for Individual Rights & Expression)
ECU is one of only 89 institutions in the nation to receive the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities’ Innovation & Economic Prosperity designation.
Read ECU’s ranking philosophy and link to some prominent ranking and recognition websites.
Read about ECU’s College Guide and Ranking Publication Working Group.