Dyes are widely used in various industries including textile, cosmetic, paper, plastics, rubber, and coating, and their discharge into waterways causes serious environmental and health problems. Four different carbon nanostructures, graphene oxide, oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes, activated carbon and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, were used as adsorbents for the removal of Nile Blue A (NBA) dye from aqueous solution. The four carbon nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer. The effects of various parameters were investigated. Kinetic adsorption data were analyzed using the first-order model and the pseudo-second-order model. The regression results showed that the adsorption kinetics were more accurately represented by the pseudo-second-order model. The equilibrium data for the aqueous solutions were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, and the equilibrium adsorption of NBA was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model. This is the first research on the removal of dye using four carbon nanostructures adsorbents.