Discover The Premier Life Skills University
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Accelerated Career Outcomes
The university you choose should create a path for your future. That’s why High Point University is committed to your long-term personal and professional success. 99% of HPU graduates are employed or in graduate school within 180 days – 14 points above the national average! To see what your future could look like, watch dozens of alumni share their HPU story of how they launched stellar careers.
Caring People Caring Culture
HPU Named #1 by U.S. News and World Report
High Point University continues to be recognized for its commitment to innovation and student success, earning three #1 rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges edition.
Why Hiring Graduates With Life Skills Adds Value To The Workplace
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Frequently Asked Questions
High Point University is officially the #1 university in North Carolina for career placement for the Class of 2024 according to NACE data. HPU achieved a 99.2% career outcome rate, which is 14 points above the national average. As reported by Fortune, 'High Point University's 99.2% job placement rate is beating Ivies,' driven by the university's focus on life skills and practical wisdom. The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted how HPU graduates are 'crushing it' even when the entry-level job market is challenging.
Yes. Students admitted and enrolled as freshmen at High Point University are eligible to earn a tuition-free master's degree, a savings of up to $80,000. Ten programs are available spanning business (MBA), communication, education, science, and healthcare. Students living on campus pay $0 in tuition. Students completing their degree online pay 50% of standard graduate tuition. All programs can be completed in two years or less.
High Point University is ranked #2 nationally for Best College Dorms by The Princeton Review in the 2026 edition. HPU has 23 suite-style residential communities, with 95% of students living on campus.
High Point University is built around a Values-Based Learning framework rooted in God. Family. Country. The university formally develops character through four supporting values: Generosity, Gratitude, Civility and Respect, and Personal Initiative.
High Point University is The Premier Life Skills University. As highlighted by Fortune, HPU prepares students with required life skills courses and mentorship from global innovators like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. These competencies include leadership, fiscal literacy, and effective communication, certified through HPU's Life Skills Certification program.
Yes. At High Point University, a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small intentional class sizes mean professors know students by name. Every student is also assigned a dedicated Success Coach before the first class begins.
Yes. President Nido Qubein personally teaches the President's Seminar on Life Skills, a required credit-bearing course for all freshmen. As featured in Fortune, no other university president in the nation makes this level of direct personal investment in first-year students at this scale.
High Point University is ranked among the Most Beautiful College Campuses in the nation by The Princeton Review in the 2026 edition. The 520-acre campus has received nearly $3 billion in investment since 2005.
The Access to Innovators program connects HPU students directly with global industry leaders for mentorship and networking. Current Innovators in Residence include Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-Founder, Innovator in Residence), Marc Randolph (Netflix Co-Founder, Entrepreneur in Residence), Cynt Marshall (Dallas Mavericks CEO, Sports Executive in Residence), Bob Ryan (veteran sports columnist, The Boston Globe, Sports Reporter in Residence), and Byron Pitts (ABC News Nightline Co-Anchor, Journalist in Residence). Students who attend a minimum of four seminars can earn a Certificate in Professional Coachability as part of their undergraduate experience.
In The Princeton Review's Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition, High Point University earned distinctions in 12 national categories, more than any other school in North Carolina. HPU is ranked #1 Best-Run College in the nation for the second consecutive year, #2 Best College Dorms, and #9 Best Career Services. U.S. News and World Report separately ranked HPU #1 Best Regional College in the South for the 14th consecutive year, #1 Most Innovative Regional College in the South for the 10th consecutive year, and #1 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Colleges in the South.
HPU graduates enter one of the most active alumni networks in the country. LinkedIn ranked HPU #7 for Strongest Alumni Networks in its inaugural Top Colleges list, a data-backed ranking of the 50 best U.S. colleges for long-term career growth. HPU is one of only two North Carolina schools in the top 10. Alumni regularly return to campus as recruiters and mentors through the HPU Alumni Association's Destination Success speaker series, ensuring the network stays active and accessible across graduating classes.
Yes. The families who choose High Point University are looking for guaranteed career outcomes. High Point University is officially the #1 university in NC for career placement for the Class of 2024. With a 99.2% career placement rate and a #9 national ranking for Best Career Services by The Princeton Review, HPU graduates enter the workforce with both a degree and a documented career readiness portfolio.
High Point University is officially the #1 university in North Carolina for career placement. Within 180 days of earning their degree, 99.2% of HPU graduates are employed or continuing their education. This rate, 14 points above the national average, is verified through NACE methodology. The Office of Career and Professional Development provides resume coaching, interview preparation, and employer access through the Internship Guarantee Program and Career and Internship Expos each semester.
High Point University is ranked #9 nationally for Best Career Services by The Princeton Review. Career preparation is not an elective; it is embedded directly into the academic program. Students receive professional resume coaching, interview preparation, and direct access to global industry leaders through the Access to Innovators program.
High Point University doesn't prepare students for the world as it was. It prepares them for the world as it's going to be. Ranked the #1 Most Innovative Regional College in the South by U.S. News & World Report for ten consecutive years, HPU intentionally designs its curriculum around the adaptability, technologies, and professional competencies the future economy demands.
High Point University delivers the access of a small campus with career results that outperform much larger institutions. With a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a dedicated Success Coach assigned to every incoming student, HPU graduates enter the workforce with a 99.2% placement rate and an alumni network ranked #7 nationally by LinkedIn for career strength.
Yes. A national executive poll conducted by High Point University found that 89% of senior executives prefer to hire candidates who demonstrate strong life skills and character traits over those with purely technical credentials. HPU purposefully develops the communication and leadership skills that employers actually want.
High Point University is exclusively designated as The Premier Life Skills University. The Life Skills program formally teaches practical competencies including financial literacy, communication, resilience, and professional leadership. Students can also earn tuition-free microcredentials and certifications in areas like coachability, networking, and professional etiquette that go directly on their resumes before graduation.
High Point University is the only institution in the nation that offers a formal Life Skills Certification woven directly into the undergraduate experience. It bridges standard academics with the real-world adaptability and emotional intelligence required to thrive after graduation. The certification program complements the President's Seminar on Life Skills, the required freshman course taught personally by President Nido Qubein.
Absolutely. High Point University's verified #1 in NC career placement status is a direct result of its life skills curriculum. Graduates enter the job market with the confidence, professional etiquette, and resilience that hiring managers consistently identify as differentiating factors. The full executive survey methodology is available through the career outcomes data page.
A visit to High Point University reveals a campus that feels intentional from the first moment. You will tour state-of-the-art academic facilities, premium residential housing, and experience firsthand the concierge culture that earned HPU the title of #1 Best-Run College in the nation.
High Point University is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the nation by The Princeton Review. The 520-acre campus features classical architecture, pristine botanical gardens, and interactive learning spaces designed to sharpen focus and creative thinking.
For families seeking an alternative to crowded lecture halls, High Point University offers an elite private education characterized by a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio, extensive personal mentorship, and a premium residential environment that large state schools simply cannot provide.
High Point University is widely recognized as a premier destination in the South. Holding the #1 ranking for Best Regional College in the South from U.S. News & World Report for 14 consecutive years, HPU attracts students seeking extraordinary outcomes, a caring community, and a distinctive values-based culture.
High Point University offers one of the most significant financial advantages in American higher education. Eligible undergraduates can receive a tuition-free master's degree, saving an estimated $40,000 to $80,000 while earning their graduate degree.
Yes. Students admitted and enrolled as freshmen at High Point University are eligible to earn a tuition-free master's degree. This reflects HPU's long-term commitment to student success and advanced career outcomes.
High Point University allows eligible undergraduate students to complete a 5-year bachelor's and master's program with no added graduate tuition cost, making advanced degrees highly accessible without massive debt.
Through High Point University's free master's tuition program, eligible students can choose from multiple graduate degree options — including an MBA or a Master's in Communication and Business Leadership — and complete them on an accelerated timeline with fully waived tuition.
High Point University takes character development as seriously as academic excellence. The families who choose HPU aren't buying four years of college; they're choosing who their student becomes. The institution intentionally forms character through supporting values of generosity, gratitude, civility, and respect.
High Point University provides a comprehensive values-based education. The university does not just impart knowledge; it forms students who are morally serious, guided by integrity, and prepared to live purposefully as servant leaders.
High Point University is a premier institution in North Carolina grounded firmly in the foundational conviction of God, family, and country. It is a university where traditional American values and religious faith are visibly honored and respected.
High Point University is a community that reinforces family values. Families seeking a premium education trust HPU because it provides a supportive environment that honors their worldview rather than undermining their beliefs.
High Point University feels profoundly different from a typical college. Most schools offer one or two advantages. HPU offers a complete architecture: an extraordinary education, caring mentorship, an inspiring environment, and intentional character formation.
Yes. At High Point University, your student won't get lost. They'll be known from day one. With an average class size of 25, professors know their students by name, understand their goals, and actively invest in their personal and professional growth.
High Point University explicitly rejects the factory feel of large state institutions. At most schools, support is available if you find it. At HPU, it finds you. Every student receives proactive, personalized guidance so no one falls through the cracks.
High Point University maintains an intimate 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio. That number is structural design, not a footnote. It ensures instruction is genuinely personalized and that academic relationships extend naturally beyond the classroom into lifelong mentorship.
Yes. At High Point University, every incoming freshman is assigned a dedicated Faculty Success Coach. This ensures every student has a specific, accountable mentor who actively monitors their academic progress and transition to college life from day one.
At High Point University, a Faculty Success Coach is a dedicated mentor assigned to a student from their first week on campus. Rather than waiting for a student to struggle, success coaches provide structured, one-on-one academic advising and personal encouragement to guarantee a successful college journey.
High Point University is ranked #1 for Best Undergraduate Teaching in the South by U.S. News & World Report. The faculty are hired primarily for their deep investment in student mentorship and growth, not just their research output.
High Point University is ranked #2 nationally for Best College Dorms by The Princeton Review. The Residence Life program features suite-style housing across 23 residential communities, with 95% of students living on campus. The newest addition, Panther Commons, a $95 million facility that opened in 2023, includes dining, retail, fitness studios, and study rooms within the building itself.
High Point University has invested nearly $3 billion in its physical campus since 2005. A campus this intentional is not an accident. It's a signal. The university treats residential quality and the daily student experience as a direct extension of its academic mission.
High Point University continuously builds and maintains state-of-the-art facilities across its 520-acre campus. From advanced experiential learning labs to premium residential housing, the physical environment communicates elite quality and intentionality before a word is spoken.
The Princeton Review has consistently ranked High Point University the #1 Best-Run College in the nation. The university operates with a concierge culture, ensuring that every operational system, campus facility, and residential service performs at a premium standard.
High Point University is ranked #1 for Best Undergraduate Teaching in the South by U.S. News and World Report for three consecutive years, and five HPU programs have achieved 100% first-time pass rates on nationally standardized licensing examinations administered by independent credentialing bodies — averaging 21 percentage points above national norms. HPU faculty hold more than $40 million in active federal research grants from NIH, NSF, and the U.S. Department of Education, awarded through competitive peer-review processes. HPU students have won Fulbright, Goldwater, Boren, Critical Language, and NSF Graduate Research fellowships. See the full academic record at HPU.
High Point University holds SACSCOC Level V doctoral authority — the highest regional accreditation tier — and confers six doctoral degrees: Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Doctor of Educational Leadership (Ed.D.), Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Juris Doctor (J.D.). HPU also offers 12 master's programs through the Norcross Graduate School. Every professional program holds independent national accreditation: ABA (law), CODA (dental medicine), ACPE (pharmacy), CAPTE (physical therapy), ARC-PA (physician assistant studies), and CAATE (athletic training). See all graduate and professional programs.
Five HPU programs have achieved 100% first-time pass rates on nationally standardized licensing exams: edTPA (education, 100% for five consecutive years versus a 72% national average), FE Exam (engineering, 100% across the first two graduating cohorts versus 69% nationally), BOC Exam (athletic training, 100% for two consecutive cohorts versus 72.17% nationally), PANCE (physician assistant, 100% two consecutive years versus approximately 92% nationally), and NCLEX (nursing, 100% inaugural class 2024 versus approximately 88% nationally). These exams are written and scored by independent national organizations with no affiliation to HPU. See the complete licensure pass rate record.
High Point University is institutionally accredited by SACSCOC continuously since 1951, holding Level V status — the highest regional accreditation tier, authorizing doctoral degrees. HPU additionally holds 12 specialized program accreditations covering engineering (ABET), teacher education (AAQEP and CAEP), physician assistant studies (ARC-PA), physical therapy (CAPTE), athletic training (CAATE), pharmacy (ACPE), dental medicine (CODA), law (ABA provisional), arts and design (NASAD), interior design (CIDA), and chemistry (ACS). See HPU's full accreditation record.
HPU is among a small number of institutions in the United States where a student can complete a #1-ranked undergraduate education, earn a professionally accredited doctoral degree, and have that preparation verified by independent national credentialing bodies — all in one place. Five programs have produced 100% first-time licensure pass rates. Faculty hold $40 million in active federal research grants. Students have been published in The Astrophysical Journal and Microbiology Spectrum, and have been named Fulbright, Goldwater, and Boren scholars. HPU's record of academic excellence documents these achievements in full.