College data resource
Compare North Carolina College Tuition, Acceptance Rates & Net Price (2026)
North Carolina has 172 higher education institutions for comparing acceptance rates, SAT and ACT signals, admissions requirements, majors, financial aid, scholarships, graduation rate, salary after graduation and ROI after checking tuition and net price.
North Carolina College Tuition & Admissions Overview (2026)
Comparing higher education options in North Carolina requires evaluating both published sticker prices and actual out-of-pocket costs (net price after grants and scholarships). Sourced from official federal data releases (U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and NCES IPEDS Data Repository), this guide analyzes 172 higher education institutions across 91 cities.
Published Tuition Baseline
Average in-state tuition is $13,986 per year; out-of-state tuition averages $18,127.
Average Net Price After Aid
After Pell Grants, state scholarships, and aid, average net price across North Carolina colleges is $14,661.
Selectivity & ROI Signals
Statewide acceptance rate averages 69.70%, with 10-year median graduate salary averaging Not available.
Primary Use Cases: Compare in-state vs out-of-state tuition premiums, identify low-net-price institutions, check reported SAT/ACT test score ranges, and verify median graduate earnings before applying.
North Carolina directory
172
Schools
91
Cities
Quick cost snapshot
Average in-state tuition
$13,986
Average out-of-state tuition
$18,127
Average attendance cost
$27,349
Average net price
$14,661
Average acceptance rate
69.70%
Admissions selectivity
Average SAT signal
1,171
Where reported
Average ACT signal
22
Where reported
Average salary after graduation
Not available
10-year median earnings
North Carolina higher education includes public universities, private nonprofit colleges, community colleges and career-focused institutions. Use this page to compare North Carolina tuition fees, in-state tuition, out-of-state tuition, cost per year, acceptance rate, SAT requirements, ACT requirements, GPA requirement notes, admissions requirements, application deadline prompts, how to apply resources, financial aid, scholarships, net price, rankings context, majors, best programs, graduation rate, salary after graduation and ROI before opening city or school profiles.
State-specific research path
North Carolina Tuition, Admissions, Aid and ROI Compared With National Averages
Start with statewide averages, then open city and school pages for university-specific tuition fees, in-state tuition, out-of-state tuition, net price, admissions requirements, how to apply notes, financial aid, scholarships, majors, graduation rate, salary after graduation and ROI.
Tuition Fees and Cost Per Year
North Carolina averages $13,986 in-state tuition and $18,127 out-of-state tuition; national averages are $17,233 and $20,567.
Acceptance, SAT, ACT and GPA
Statewide reported averages are 69.70% acceptance rate, 1,171 SAT and 22 ACT; the national acceptance average is 72.69%.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
150 schools report net price data. North Carolina average net price is $14,661 versus the national average of $17,506.
Majors, Salary and ROI
0 schools report salary data; statewide 10-year earnings average Not available versus Not available nationally.
State education map
North Carolina tuition fees, admissions and ROI landscape
Use tuition fees, in-state and out-of-state tuition, net price, acceptance rate, admissions, majors, graduation and salary signals to understand how North Carolina higher education options compare before opening city and school pages.
Most Affordable Net Price in North CarolinaLowest Net Price and Financial Aid in North Carolina
Wilkes Community College Net Price, Financial Aid and Scholarship Research
$-28
Most Selective Admissions in North Carolina
Duke University Acceptance Rate, SAT and ACT Research
6.78%
North Carolina College Directory
Use the sections below to move from statewide tuition averages into city hubs, high-cost schools, lower net price options and a complete A-Z school crawl path.
Top North Carolina Cities for Tuition Fees, Admissions Requirements, Majors and ROI
Cities are sorted by school count so readers can quickly reach local pages for tuition fees, in-state and out-of-state tuition, acceptance rate, admissions requirements, financial aid, majors, graduation rate, salary after graduation and ROI.
Highest Tuition Fee and Cost Per Year Schools in North Carolina
Schools below are sorted by reported out-of-state tuition from College Scorecard cost fields. Open a profile to compare tuition fees with net price, financial aid, scholarships, graduation rate, salary after graduation and ROI.
Lowest Net Price, Financial Aid and Scholarship Research in North Carolina
Schools below are sorted by average net price after grants and scholarships where reported. Use them as starting points for financial aid, scholarship, cost per year and ROI research.
Top North Carolina schools by enrollmentLargest North Carolina University Guides for Tuition Fees, Admissions, Majors, Salary and ROI
The school list is sorted by undergraduate enrollment when that field is reported, with school name as the secondary sort. Use each row to open a broader university guide covering tuition fees, in-state tuition, out-of-state tuition, cost per year, net price, acceptance rate, SAT and ACT signals, admissions requirements, how to apply resources, financial aid, scholarships, majors, graduation rate, salary after graduation and ROI.
All North Carolina Schools A-Z
This complete crawlable list gives search engines and readers direct access to every North Carolina school profile without relying on deep pagination.
North Carolina University FAQ
What are average North Carolina university tuition fees, in-state tuition and out-of-state tuition?
The average in-state tuition for North Carolina schools with reported tuition is $13,986. The average out-of-state tuition is $18,127, and average cost per year is $27,349 where reported.
Where can I compare North Carolina acceptance rate, SAT requirements, ACT requirements and GPA requirements?
This page summarizes North Carolina acceptance rate data at 69.70% where reported, plus SAT and ACT coverage when available. GPA requirements and application deadlines are usually school-specific, so open each university profile and verify final requirements with the official admissions office.
How do North Carolina financial aid, scholarships and net price compare?
The average net price for North Carolina schools with reported net price data is $14,661. Use net price with Pell Grant, loan and scholarship notes on school pages before relying on published tuition fees alone.
Can I research North Carolina majors, best programs and rankings here?
School profiles include program and major signals where the College Scorecard and IPEDS data reports them. Rankings and best-program claims are treated as research prompts, not invented rankings, so use the listed school pages and official catalogs for final program decisions.
Which North Carolina university has the strongest salary after graduation and ROI signal?
North Carolina schools vary significantly by program type. Nursing, medical and technical programs often report the highest 10-year earnings, while community colleges and career schools can have lower tuition and different completion patterns. Compare salary after graduation relative to tuition, net price, debt and graduation rate for a complete ROI picture.