Saint Augustine University was established in 1867 in Raleigh, NC. It's a four-year, private liberal arts university with an average student enrollment of approximately 1,100. It's a NCAA Division II university with 14 intercollegiate sports

Shaw University is the first historically black university (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founded in 1865 as a private liberal arts institution, it offers more than 30 academic programs with a 15-1 student to faculty ratio. Shaw is also the first college in NC to offer a four-year medical school; the first institution of higher learning established for freedmen after the Civil War and the first HBCU in the nation to open its doors to women. Shaw is also a NCAA Division II university.

NC State University was founded in 1887 as a land grant university. Host to over 34,000 students and 2,300 faculty and staff with 12 colleges representing all major academic fields. A member of the ACC, NC State is a Division I university with 25 varsity sports.