Oct. 15. Duke University is the No. 1 university in North Carolina according to a new study from WalletHub. Rounding out the Top 3 were UNC Chapel Hill and Davidson College.

WalletHub compared 800 higher-education institutions in the U.S. based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes. The data set ranges from student-faculty ratios to graduation rates to salaries after graduation.

Top 10 Colleges & Universities in North Carolina
1. Duke University
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
3. Davidson College
4. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
5. Queens University of Charlotte
6. Meredith College
7. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
8. North Carolina A & T State University
9. Elon University
10. University of North Carolina Wilmington

Nationwide, the Top 3 universities were Princeton, Yale and Harvard while the Top 3 colleges are Swarthmore, Hamilton and Amherst.

NB: Tuition plus room and board at a four-year college costs $28,000 to $60,000 per year, according to WalletHub.

To read the full study, click here.

Q: What tips do you have for a student looking to graduate with minimal debt and great job prospects?

“While each student’s path is different, many should and do consider starting at a community college. For those seeking an applied associate degree to enter the workforce, there are various technical fields for which a career-focused program can lead to a great career. For those aspiring to transfer to a university, articulation agreements often exist to help credit transfer from one institution to another, but they can be very difficult to navigate. It is essential to identify one’s desired major and destination university as early as possible to ensure good advising and avoid lost credit when transferring. Since community colleges typically ‘admit the top 100%’ of applicants, this path is equally viable for those just graduating high school as it is for adults looking to enter college for the first time or return to complete a degree.”

—Mark M. D’Amico, Ph.D., professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte