High School Students

At Central Piedmont, whatever educational journey or career path you are embarking upon, you can do it here at an affordable cost.

Affordable, Debt-Free College

Real-world readiness doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Save over $46,000. Our tuition rates are substantially lower than a four-year university. Central Piedmont awards more than $3 million in scholarships annually, and 54% of our students receive financial assistance through grants, scholarships, and outside assistance.

Personal Approach to Help You Succeed

We understand that making the transition from high school to college might seem scary. Our small class sizes and support services help make starting college easy. Central Piedmont can help you on your path to what's next.

Get to Know Us

We'd love to share more with you about the value of a Central Piedmont education.

Contact a Recruiter

Earn an Associate Degree and Transfer

Get your bachelor's degree at a fraction of the cost of attending a university for four years. Earn an associate degree to easily transfer to a four-year school.

  • Our transfer degrees guarantee your placement in a UNC system university (within specific degrees or pathways), and we have several guaranteed admissions transfer programs.

  • On average, students who transfer from a community college have a higher GPA than students who start their bachelor's right out of high school.

Start Your Career Now

Being college-educated doesn't have to mean getting a bachelor's degree. Getting a four-year degree or more is not the definition of success, and doing so isn't for everybody.

  • Take a Direct Path to Employment

    Go right into your career after you graduate high school through career and technical education (CTE) opportunities at Central Piedmont.

  • Complete a Year-Long Internship with YearUp

    YearUp is a free, year-long program that prepares you for entry-level technology and customer-facing roles. Earn college credits and get paid a weekly stipend. 

Take College Courses in High School

I wanted to save money while getting a jump on my college education. Attending Central Piedmont’s middle college high school helped me accomplish both of those goals. Amanda Vang '20 Read Amanda's Story

More Options for High School Students

  • Career & College Promise Dual Enrollment

    Career & College Promise dual enrollment gives you the opportunity to earn college credits for free while still attending high school.

  • Middle Colleges

    Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students, you can leave your high school and enroll in a middle college to earn college credits and finish your high school diploma at the same time, for free.

  • STEM Prep

    Explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields through non-credit after school classes with STEM Prep.

  • Take College Classes the Summer After You Graduate

    If you are a graduating senior, the free Summer Bridge program can help you get a jump start on college life while earning college credit.

Get a Full College Experience

You don't have to go to a four-year school to get that "full college experience." Students are always surprised and impressed by the number of opportunities here to engage, grow, and connect outside of the classroom.

  • Get Involved, Make Friends

    With our student life and leadership opportunities, you can join a sports team, study abroad, start or join a club, volunteer, express yourself with the arts, and more.

  • Support Services

    At Central Piedmont, your success is our #1 priority and drives everything we do. We have many support services dedicated to helping you should you have any difficulty that will affect your learning or well-being, such as tutoring, Counseling Services, Disability and Access Services, and mentoring opportunities.

Schedule a Tour

We encourage all students and parents to schedule a tour at any of our campuses or attend an open house or information session to experience the excitement of being a student firsthand. You can also schedule a group tour to bring a group of your students to campus.

Visit