With so many college options available to student athletes today, it can be overwhelming to decide which path to take. College Factual was created with one purpose in mind – helping students determine which school is best suited for them. Our Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking is part of that effort.
After reviewing 20 schools in North Carolina, we compiled our list of those providing the best educational experiences for D2 Men’s Basketball athletes. Our ranking is based on several objective factors such as each school’s overall quality and athletic competitiveness; subjective measures cannot provide a fair comparison when comparing schools; even if one has an impressive team, they won’t fare well if it is considered low quality college or university.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
We’ve developed a variety of tools and rankings to assist you with making your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location, then explore our other rankings that highlight schools ideal for different student populations such as online learners or returning adults.
One of our standout features is College Combat. This tool allows you to create tailored comparisons based on the factors most important to you. Try it out by comparing your top schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can come back and play with it later.
Top Colleges in North Carolina for D2 Men’s Basketball Athletes
Which colleges are the best options for D2 basketball athletes in North Carolina?
Queens University of Charlotte
Queens University of Charlotte emerged as the best school for D2 Men’s Basketball athletes in North Carolina this year, according to our analysis. Queens is a private not-for-profit institution located in Charlotte with a small student body; it awarded 503 bachelor’s degrees during 2020-2021. Furthermore, their D2 Men’s Basketball team brought home $1,037,208 in revenue during one season.
Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, North Carolina
Pfeiffer University is an excellent college option for D2 Men’s Basketball athletes in North Carolina, ranking #2 on our 2021 Best Colleges list. Situated in Misenheimer, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 199 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students during 2020-2021. Furthermore, the D2 Men’s Basketball team at Pfeiffer brought home $114,462 worth of revenue last year alone!
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina
Catawba College is an excellent option if you decide to attend. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Colleges for D2 Men’s Basketball athletes in North Carolina list. Located in Salisbury, NC, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 278 bachelor’s degrees during 2020-2021. The D2 Men’s Basketball team at Catawba made $611,215 in revenue while incurring expenses of $603,830; thus making a profit of $7,385.
Wingate University: Learn. Play. Achieve.
Wingate, North Carolina
Attend Wingate University and you’ll join some of the best athletes around. The school came in at #4 this year’s ranking and is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wingate, North Carolina. It boasts a small student body; 549 bachelor’s degrees were granted there during 2020-2021. For their D2 Men’s Basketball team alone, Wingate brought in $536,426 while amassing $522,784 expenses – totaling an annual profit of $13,642 for the sports program.
Barton College
Wilson, North Carolina
Barton College earned the #5 spot on this year’s ranking of North Carolina schools. Situated in Wilson, the small private not-for-profit institution awarded 236 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students during 2020-2021. Furthermore, their D2 Men’s Basketball team brought home $474,352 worth of revenue during one single year.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Pembroke did well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #6. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public university located in Pembroke and awarded 1,357 bachelor’s degrees during 2020-2021. Last year UNC Pembroke took home $391,482 in revenue and paid out $390,844 in expenses – totaling $638 profit!
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Winston-Salem State University did well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized public school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina awarded 991 bachelor’s degrees during 2020-2021. Furthermore, WSSU’s D2 Men’s Basketball team took home $40,161 in revenue that year.
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Hickory, North Carolina
Lenoir-Rhyne University was ranked #8 in this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking. A small private not-for-profit school located in Hickory, North Carolina, Lenoir-Rhyne awarded 367 bachelor degrees between 2020-2021 and its D2 Men’s Basketball team brought home $757,892 in revenue during one calendar year.
Chowan University
Murfreesboro, North Carolina.
Chowan University was ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina list. Situated in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 198 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students during 2020-2021. On a financial note, the D2 Men’s Basketball team made $489,842 in revenue during that same time period.
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Fayetteville State University was ranked #10 in this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking. Situated in Fayetteville, North Carolina, this medium-sized institution of higher learning awarded bachelor’s degrees to 1,076 students during 2020-2021. On the financial front, Fayetteville State University’s D2 Men’s Basketball team made $511,312 in revenue during that same time period.
Belmont Abbey College – Overview
Belmont Abbey College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina list. BAC, a small private not-for-profit school located in Belmont, North Carolina, awarded 331 bachelor’s degrees between 2020-2021 and made $474,234 in revenue as the D2 Men’s Basketball team at BAC made its mark.
Shaw University | Graduate Scholarship Opportunities!
Raleigh, North Carolina
Shaw University earned a ranking of #12 on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina list. Situated in Raleigh, North Carolina with a small student body, Shaw awarded 167 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates in 2020-2021. Additionally, their D2 Men’s Basketball team brought home $523,191 in revenue during one season.
Johnson C Smith University
Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina earned a ranking of #13 on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina list. As a private not-for-profit school that awarded 227 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021, JCSU saw its D2 Men’s Basketball team generate revenue of $399,747 during that same timeframe.
Saint Augustine’s University
Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina was ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina list. As a small private not-for-profit school, SAU awarded 108 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021. On the financial front, their D2 Men’s Basketball team took home $246,146 in revenue last season.
University of Mount Olive
Mount Olive, North Carolina.
University of Mount Olive was ranked #15 in this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking. UMO is a private non-profit institution located in Mount Olive, North Carolina with a small student body; it awarded 541 bachelor’s degrees during 2020-2021. The D2 Men’s Basketball team at UMO made $458,755 in revenue while incurring expenses of $447,218; this meant they made a profit of $11,537.
Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, North Carolina
Lees-McRae College was ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina list. Situated in Banner Elk, North Carolina, this private not-for-profit university granted bachelor degrees to 212 students during 2020-2021. On the financial front, Lees – McRae College made $428,668 in revenue during that same time period.
Livingstone College: Open Door Policy
Salisbury, North Carolina
Livingstone College earned a ranking of #17 on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina list. As a small private not-for-profit school located in Salisbury, North Carolina, Livingstone College awarded 113 bachelor’s degrees between 2020-2021 and made $463,227 in revenue over that same time period.
Mars Hill University | Academic | Mars Hill University: Admissions Information
Mars Hill, North Carolina
Mars Hill University earned a ranking of #18 on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking. As a private not-for-profit institution located in Mars Hill, North Carolina, Mars Hill boasts a small student body but awarded 257 bachelor’s degrees during 2020-2021. On the financial front, the D2 Men’s Basketball team at Mars Hill made $355,825 in revenue last season.
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Elizabeth City State University ranked #19 in this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina ranking. Located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the small public school awarded 301 bachelor degrees during 2020-2021 and their D2 Men’s Basketball team brought home $350,406 in revenue during a single year.
Brevard College
Brevard College of North Carolina earned a ranking of #20 in this year’s Best Colleges for Division II Men’s Basketball in North Carolina. As a private not-for-profit institution based in Brevard, North Carolina, Brevard College awarded 139 bachelor’s degrees between 2020-2021. On the financial front, their D2 Men’s Basketball team made $150,668 in revenue last season.