Best PhD in Nursing Programs in North Carolina, Ranked (2026)
North Carolina awards about 17 nursing doctorates a year. That small number tells you what the four PhD in nursing programs in North Carolina actually are: tight cohorts, a few seats per cycle, admissions decisions made by people who will know your name. Duke in Durham and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill run theirs on campus. East Carolina University in Greenville and UNC Greensboro run theirs online. Two of the four come with funding, and which two is the first thing to establish, because it changes the price of the degree more than any other detail.
Last updated
Programs ranked
4
Universities
4
Nursing faculty median
$80,400
Faculty jobs in NC
2,560
How We Ranked the Best PhD in Nursing Programs in North Carolina
Campus and online programs are scored on separate models, because they compete on different
things, and this page lists both together with each one's score from its own model. Research
funding comes from NIH RePORTER, doctoral scale from federal IPEDS completions, and the
curriculum, funding and deadline figures from each school's own pages.
The full scoring model is here.
North Carolina's 4 Nursing PhD Programs, Compared
PhD in nursing programs in North Carolina, ranked 2026
Close to two-thirds of every NINR dollar in North Carolina nursing sits at Duke, about $19 million across 41 awards out of the state's $29.5 million. That concentration is the whole argument for it.
Where it wins. Funding runs five years, tuition and a twelve-month stipend and health insurance, longer than the three-year guarantee UNC extends to its top scholars. Electives can be taken at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State or NC Central under inter-institutional arrangements.
What you give up. You have to be in Durham and you have to decide early. The November 19 deadline lands nearly three months ahead of ECU's and four ahead of UNCG's, and the program is in person.
Funding. "Ph.D. student tuition and 12-month stipends are fully funded for up to five years," with a package that "should provide financial support (tuition, stipend, health insurance) for the majority of the time you are registered and working toward your degree."
Research. health equity, social determinants of health (SDOH), nurse-led models of care.
For anyone paying their own way, ECU isn't close to the others on price. $277.06 a credit against UNC's $598 means the 54-hour degree costs about $14,960 instead of about $32,300.
Where it wins. It's fully online, part-time is on the table, and BSN entrants pick up MSN-level coursework in nursing education or health systems leadership on the way through. DNP holders transfer up to 12 credits into it.
What you give up. Three straight summers you travel to Greenville for immersion week. From a BSN the requirement stretches to 72 to 84 credits, and the college holds two NINR awards, so funded lab work is thin on the ground.
Every published detail for East Carolina University
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Online
School
East Carolina University College of Nursing
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD, post-master's
GRE
Not required
Minimum GPA
3.2
Applications close
February 15
Part-time study
Available
Dissertation
Required
On campus
Required summer immersion session of several days on the Greenville campus in each of the first three years
UNC's pitch isn't its own money so much as your ability to win some. Over the past five years 73 percent of its students who applied for NIH F31 grants got funded, and there's a T32 fellowship in chronic illness.
Where it wins. The school holds about $10 million across 37 NINR awards, second in the state, and top scholars picked at admission get stipend, full tuition, fees and health insurance guaranteed for three years, with years four and five possible.
What you give up. Full time is a requirement here rather than a preference, and part-time study isn't offered, so this one costs you the job. The guarantee also goes to scholars selected during admissions, not to everyone who gets in.
Funding. Top scholars identified during the admissions process receive a package of stipend, full tuition coverage, fees and health insurance guaranteed for three years, with the possibility of extending support into years four and five.
Research. community engagement, multilevel health determinants, nursing and health systems, chronic illness prevention, digital innovation.
Every published detail for UNC Chapel Hill
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
On campus
School
UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing (Carolina Nursing)
Come in holding a DNP and UNCG becomes the shortest doctorate in North Carolina. The waiver takes up to 12 credits off a 51-credit program, leaving 39, and 12 of those are dissertation hours.
Where it wins. Online with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous coursework, part-time allowed, and the twice-yearly campus visits have a synchronous online alternative if travel isn't workable. Research assistantships here come with tuition support attached.
What you give up. It graduates two nursing PhDs a year and holds zero NINR awards, so you're picking this for the schedule and the short credit count, not for research money sitting in the building.
Funding. Research assistantship opportunities exist and come with tuition support; teaching and research assistantships are available.
Research. health promotion, treatment, health systems research, optimal health for ethnic minorities, women, children and older adults.
Every published detail for University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Online
School
UNCG School of Nursing
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD, post-master's
GRE
Not required
Minimum GPA
3.2
Applications close
March 15
Part-time study
Available
Dissertation
Required
On campus
Students are invited to campus two times per year (the university degree the program says two to four times per year) for intensive interaction with School of Nursing faculty; a synchronous online alternative is offered.
What Nursing Faculty and Nurse Researchers Earn in North Carolina
Nursing faculty in North Carolina post a median of $80,400, just above the national faculty median of $80,250, across about 2,560 instructor jobs. The percentile spread runs from $59,770 to $110,620, so the top of the faculty ladder pays close to double the bottom of it. Registered nurses in the state earn a median of $84,350 across roughly 111,120 jobs, putting a faculty line about $3,950 under the typical bedside job. That's a narrow gap, though it's narrow partly because North Carolina's RN median sits below the national RN median of $97,550. Weigh an academic offer against what you'd earn staying clinical here, not against the national figure.
Where Is the Nursing Research Money in North Carolina?
North Carolina schools pulled in about $29.5 million in NIH nursing research awards between FY2021 and FY2025. Spread across four doctoral programs that graduate roughly 17 people a year, that is a lot of money per student, and it's concentrated in the Triangle, where Duke in Durham and UNC Chapel Hill sit a short drive apart.
Grant money is what a PhD runs on. It pays stipends, it buys the data you analyze, and it decides whether your dissertation is your own question or a slice of somebody's funded project. Either can be a good deal. You want to know which one you're signing up for before you accept a seat.
For the two online programs, East Carolina in Greenville and UNC Greensboro, ask the question a different way. Ask which faculty are taking students this cycle, what their current awards cover, and how a remote doctoral student gets access to data and to a working research team.
Questions About Nursing PhD Programs in North Carolina
How many PhD in nursing programs are there in North Carolina?
4, at 4 universities. 2 are campus-based and 2 run online.
Can you do a PhD in nursing online in North Carolina?
Yes, two of the four are online: East Carolina University in Greenville and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Duke University in Durham and UNC Chapel Hill both expect you on campus.
Do North Carolina nursing PhD programs offer funding?
Two of the four come with funding. With a state median of 53 credits and about 3.5 years to finish, a funded seat changes the total cost of the degree more than anything else, so ask each program what its funding covers and how many years it runs.
What do nursing professors earn in North Carolina?
Postsecondary nursing instructors in North Carolina earn a $80,400 median. The bottom 10% earn $59,770 and the top 10% clear $110,620, across 2,560 jobs in the state. The national median is $80,250.
Can you do a nursing PhD in North Carolina without moving?
2 of the 4 programs in North Carolina run online. You can also apply to any of the online programs based in other states, since an online nursing PhD does not care where you live. They are all ranked here.