Area Four Year Colleges

The Cape Fear region is home not only to outstanding community colleges, but to three four year colleges as well.

UNC Wilmington

In the fall of 2016, the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) boasted an enrollment of nearly 13,914 undergraduate and 1,826 graduate students registered in five distinct schools comprising Arts and Sciences, Nursing, Business, Education, and Graduate studies. The school offers 54 Bachelor’s degrees in 49 majors, master’s degrees in 29 and doctorates in four.

Taking advantage of Wilmington’s motion picture industry, the university has a dedicated Department of Film Studies.
Also, UNCW’s renowned Center for Marine Science includes a state-of-the-art facility on the Intracoastal Waterway at Myrtle Grove.

US News & World Report ranked UNCW sixth in the South in its “Best Colleges” guide. The Business Journal’s rankings of U.S. public colleges placed UNCW in the top 50 institutions in the country. Additional national recognition came from the Education Trust, which ranked UNCW eighth on its list of most impressive gains in graduation rates by four-year public institutions in the U.S.

UNCW has the top transfer student graduation rate in the University of North Carolina system, as well as one of the top four-year graduation rates. Within five months of graduation, more than 70 percent of graduates are employed; another 12.4 percent are enrolled in graduate or professional schools.

University of Mount Olive

Christian faith-based values provide the foundation for the University of Mount Olive’s mission, environment and curriculum.

One of its seven campuses is located in Wilmington. This private, four-year college offers 40-plus majors; it offers associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in liberal arts and professional studies as well as an MBA program.

The University of Mount Olive has small classes, flexible scheduling, many online courses, and one-night-a-week academic programs specifically designed for working adults.

Miller-Motte College

Another private institution of higher learning in Wilmington is Miller-Motte College, which is one among a chain of Miller-Motte colleges throughout the Southern United States offering certificates, diplomas, associate and bachelor’s degrees in a variety of career-oriented disciplines.

The local campus curriculum is known especially for its Massage Therapy, Cosmetology, Esthetics Technology, and Microcomputer Applications Network Administration. Online opportunities are available for Bachelor programs in Allied Health Management, Business Administration, Nursing, and Criminal Justice.