Fayetteville has a public university, a private university and a community college that offer a number of courses and programs for those looking to expand their education.
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State University is part of the University of North Carolina System. It is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state, having been founded in 1867. FSU is a historically Black university that confers degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels.
With more than 6,700 students, FSU is among the most diverse institutions in the nation.
“FSU is perfectly positioned here in the Sandhills region to change the landscape on how we think about workforce readiness in today’s ever-changing job market and how we in higher education can support veterans and their families in their transitions to the civilian workforce,” says Chancellor Darrell T. Allison.
“Fayetteville State University is proud to now be the premier destination, not just in North Carolina but in the nation, for educating military-connected students. With our diverse student population, there is something at FSU for everyone.”
In February, the university announced a military scholarship that will provide free tuition to FSU undergraduates who are military-connected, including active-duty service members, members of the National Guard and Reserve, military spouses and dependents, and veterans.
FSU is also the state’s newest NC Promise school, which means that its tuition rate makes a college education more affordable. Starting in fall 2022, undergraduate tuition will be $500 per semester for in-state students and $2,500 per semester for out-of-state students.
Contact: 910-672-1111 or uncfsu.edu
Methodist University
Methodist University is Cumberland County’s only independent, four-year institution of higher education. Its nearly 2,000 students come from across the U.S. and more than 40 countries annually. Methodist offers more than 80 areas of study, including multiple master’s and doctoral programs.
It also has 100% online degrees, a campus on Fort Bragg, more than 120 student clubs and organizations, and 20 NCAA sports programs.
“Methodist is a vibrant community of students, faculty, staff and administrators who live, study and work together,” says Stanley T. Wearden, the college president. “This process of sharing our lives together offers the opportunity for each of us to be better, wiser, stronger and more productive than we would be alone. Methodist offers a distinctive educational experience in an environment that supports individual growth.”
Graduate programs include the first doctoral-level program in occupational therapy in the state; business administration; biology; pre-nursing and nursing; psychology; criminal justice-forensic science; engineering; and social work. The golf management program has a 100% graduate job rate in the golf industry. The master’s degree programs include criminal justice, education, business and health science, which includes physical therapy, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy and health administration.
Contact: 910-630-7000 or methodist.edu
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College offers something for all from academics to trade skills. The college confers more than 280 degrees, diplomas and certificates in science, applied science, the arts and general education, as well as transfer credit for entry into four-year universities.
FTCC offers a wide variety of affordable and flexible education programs for students at all stages of life, including those seeking associate degrees that are transferable to a four-year college, those who want training to move directly into the workplace, and those seeking new skills for career advancement or personal enrichment.
Programs include nursing, dental assisting, emergency management training and other health care fields; law enforcement, firefighter training, emergency management and other public service fields; cybersecurity, computer programming, digital media technology and other computer technology fields; supply-chain management, accounting, hospitality management and other business fields; and welding, carpentry, plumbing and other skilled trades.
“I love the people we serve at Fayetteville Technical Community College,” says Larry Keen, the FTCC president. “We turn no one away. We take every single person who comes to us, and we take them from where they are and help them go as far as they can.”
FTCC, founded in 1961, is the third-largest community college in the state with the main campus at 2201 Hull Road and a satellite campus in Spring Lake.
Contact: 910-678-8400 or faytechcc.edu
