Public universities in North Carolina
The College Scorecard lists 16 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in North Carolina, all compared on this page. Together they enroll 190,279 undergraduate degree-seeking students. The median average net price is $13,942 a year, about the same as the $14,226 median for public universities nationwide. Former students' median earnings 10 years after starting college are $52,980 at the median institution, lower than the $58,635 median for public universities nationwide. The median graduation rate is 59.5%.
Open in the dashboardSource: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Schools
16
UndergraduatesiUndergraduate degree-seeking enrollment.
190,279
Median net priceiAverage yearly cost for full-time, first-time undergraduates who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. The figure here is the median across schools.
$13,942
U.S.: $14,226
Median earnings, 10 yrsiMedian earnings of former students who received federal aid, 10 years after they started college, among those working and not enrolled. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$52,980
U.S.: $58,635
Median debtiMedian federal student-loan balance of graduates. Excludes Parent PLUS and private loans. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$20,500
U.S.: $19,500
Median grad rateiShare of full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time (6 years for a 4-year degree, 3 years for a 2-year degree). The figure here is the median across schools.
59.5%
U.S.: 51.6%
Compare all public universities in North Carolina on one chart
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Each dot is one school. Dashed lines mark the median for North Carolina. Showing 16 of 16 public universities in North Carolina; schools missing either value are left out.
All 16 public universities in North Carolina
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh | 27,371 | $16,486 | $8,815 | $33,780 | $77,810 | $19,500 | 84.9% | 94.5% | 41.7% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte | 24,453 | $15,142 | $7,317 | $23,523 | $63,486 | $19,500 | 68.2% | 85.0% | 79.6% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill | 20,752 | $11,305 | $9,095 | $45,228 | $81,094 | $12,086 | 91.1% | 96.6% | 15.3% |
| East Carolina University Greenville | 19,896 | $16,880 | $7,438 | $23,715 | $60,387 | $20,500 | 63.4% | 82.7% | 89.2% |
| Appalachian State University Boone | 19,444 | $16,082 | $7,642 | $25,932 | $57,488 | $19,500 | 71.3% | 83.7% | 90.1% |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington | 14,922 | $19,570 | $7,266 | $25,420 | $61,019 | $18,250 | 71.6% | 88.2% | 64.2% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro | 14,062 | $12,291 | $7,731 | $24,705 | $53,402 | $20,500 | 57.9% | 78.9% | 88.5% |
| North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro | 12,182 | $9,884 | $6,813 | $20,873 | $50,279 | $23,288 | 56.1% | 77.5% | 49.9% |
| Western Carolina University Cullowhee | 10,024 | $13,025 | $4,685 | $8,685 | $53,764 | $19,500 | 61.1% | 79.1% | 81.8% |
| North Carolina Central University Durham | 6,081 | $16,708 | $6,733 | $19,769 | $46,956 | $26,000 | 47.4% | 72.7% | 87.0% |
| Fayetteville State University Fayetteville | 5,762 | $8,500 | $4,412 | $8,412 | $47,125 | $20,500 | 36.9% | 75.3% | 82.2% |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke | 5,330 | $10,522 | $3,611 | $7,611 | $48,029 | $21,082 | 43.7% | 71.6% | 93.3% |
| Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem | 4,170 | $12,817 | $6,098 | $16,754 | $52,558 | $24,000 | 47.3% | 77.3% | 78.3% |
| University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville | 2,910 | $14,999 | $7,501 | $24,849 | $50,562 | $19,500 | 51.5% | 72.1% | 91.9% |
| Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City | 1,975 | $8,048 | $6,625 | $10,625 | $44,614 | $20,745 | 46.2% | 76.9% | 64.2% |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem | 945 | $14,859 | $9,611 | $27,345 | $46,097 | $26,450 | 80.3% | 92.8% | 30.0% |
Showing 16 of 16. Starts sorted by undergraduate enrollment; select a column to sort.
Quick facts: public universities in North Carolina
- How many public universities are in North Carolina?
- The College Scorecard lists 16 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in North Carolina.
- What do public universities in North Carolina cost?
- Across the 16 schools that report it, the median average net price is $13,942 a year. Net price is what full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships. Reported net prices range from $8,048 at Elizabeth City State University to $19,570 at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
- Which public universities in North Carolina have the lowest average net price?
- By reported average net price: Elizabeth City State University ($8,048), Fayetteville State University ($8,500), North Carolina A & T State University ($9,884), University of North Carolina at Pembroke ($10,522), and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($11,305).
- How much is in-state and out-of-state tuition at public universities in North Carolina?
- The median published in-state tuition is $7,292 a year, and the median out-of-state tuition is $23,619. Many students pay less than published tuition after aid.
- How much do former students of public universities in North Carolina earn?
- At the median institution, former students who received federal aid earn $52,980 10 years after starting college (16 institutions reporting; branch campuses share one figure and count once). The highest reported medians are at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($81,094), North Carolina State University at Raleigh ($77,810), and University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($63,486).
- What is the graduation rate at public universities in North Carolina?
- The median graduation rate is 59.5%, across 16 schools reporting. It counts full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time.
- How much student debt do graduates of public universities in North Carolina have?
- The median institution's graduates leave with $20,500 in federal student loans (the median balance). Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Keep comparing
Other college types in North Carolina
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How these numbers work
This page includes public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher, as reported in the College Scorecard. Summary figures are medians across schools: each school counts once, whatever its size, and schools that don't report a measure are left out of that measure. The Scorecard reports earnings and debt for a whole institution, so branch campuses share one figure; for those two measures each institution counts once. Most recent data year: cost 2025, graduation and retention 2025, earnings 2022, debt 2024. More on the data.