Tuition Trends for North Carolina colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 175 colleges in North Carolina - 76 public and 99 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in North Carolina is $7,267 for North Carolina residents and $20,438 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $25,976. For North Carolina community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $2,522 for state residents and $8,391 for out-of-state students.

North Carolina public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees decreased by 0.04% from $6,713 (2015) to $6,710 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 4.51% over the past decade from $19,556 (2015) to $20,438 (2024). In private North Carolina colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 22.83%, from $22,291 (2015) to $27,380 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 12.65% when living on campus and by 11.93% when living off campus at public North Carolina colleges. For private North Carolina colleges, the COA has increased by 23.41% (on-campus) and 22.59% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of North Carolina colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$20,322	$33,165	$35,900	$20,835	$33,678	$36,413
2015-16	$20,704 1.88%	$33,833 2.01%	$36,619 2.00%	$21,142 1.47%	$34,271 1.76%	$37,057 1.77%
2016-17	$21,316 2.96%	$34,739 2.68%	$37,678 2.89%	$21,439 1.40%	$34,862 1.72%	$37,801 2.01%
2017-18	$21,634 1.49%	$35,323 1.68%	$38,440 2.02%	$22,006 2.64%	$35,695 2.39%	$38,812 2.67%
2018-19	$21,426 -0.96%	$33,891 -4.05%	$38,341 -0.26%	$21,838 -0.76%	$34,303 -3.90%	$38,753 -0.15%
2019-20	$21,746 1.49%	$34,393 1.48%	$38,953 1.60%	$21,963 0.57%	$34,610 0.89%	$39,170 1.08%
2020-21	$22,143 1.83%	$34,791 1.16%	$40,097 2.94%	$21,854 -0.50%	$34,502 -0.31%	$39,808 1.63%
2021-22	$22,521 1.71%	$35,359 1.63%	$41,126 2.57%	$22,541 3.14%	$35,379 2.54%	$41,146 3.36%
2022-23	$22,459 -0.28%	$35,623 0.75%	$41,514 0.94%	$22,477 -0.28%	$35,641 0.74%	$41,532 0.94%
2023-24	$23,634 5.23%	$37,362 4.88%	$44,304 6.72%	$23,967 6.63%	$37,695 5.76%	$44,637 7.48%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for North Carolina colleges is $6,710 for North Carolina residents and $20,438 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $28,642.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $11,346 for North Carolina residents and $25,509 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $17,331.

The tuition & fees has increased 4.51% for undergraduate programs and 17.32% for graduate programs at North Carolina colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for North Carolina colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$6,713	$19,556	$22,291	$7,040	$19,264	$13,667
2015-16	$6,984 4.04%	$20,113 2.85%	$22,899 2.73%	$7,365 4.62%	$19,910 3.35%	$13,810 1.05%
2016-17	$7,157 2.48%	$20,580 2.32%	$23,519 2.71%	$7,671 4.15%	$20,523 3.08%	$14,187 2.73%
2017-18	$7,436 3.90%	$21,125 2.65%	$24,242 3.07%	$7,882 2.75%	$21,034 2.49%	$14,580 2.77%
2018-19	$7,008 -5.76%	$19,473 -7.82%	$23,923 -1.32%	$8,024 1.80%	$21,360 1.55%	$14,728 1.02%
2019-20	$7,121 1.61%	$19,768 1.51%	$24,328 1.69%	$8,141 1.46%	$21,604 1.14%	$15,394 4.52%
2020-21	$7,174 0.74%	$19,822 0.27%	$25,128 3.29%	$8,161 0.25%	$21,624 0.09%	$15,994 3.90%
2021-22	$7,202 0.39%	$20,040 1.10%	$25,807 2.70%	$8,196 0.43%	$21,934 1.43%	$15,811 -1.14%
2022-23	$6,652 -7.64%	$19,816 -1.12%	$25,707 -0.39%	$8,259 0.77%	$22,206 1.24%	$16,885 6.79%
2023-24	$6,710 0.87%	$20,438 3.14%	$27,380 6.51%	$8,437 2.16%	$22,600 1.77%	$16,372 -3.04%

North Carolina 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

North Carolina Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for North Carolina colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$1,197
2015-16	$1,203 0.50%
2016-17	$1,140 -5.24%
2017-18	$1,152 1.05%
2018-19	$1,146 -0.52%
2019-20	$1,152 0.52%
2020-21	$1,179 2.34%
2021-22	$1,169 -0.85%
2022-23	$1,101 -5.82%
2023-24	$1,148 4.27%

Living Costs Changes

For North Carolina colleges, the living have increased 22.67% when a student lives on campus facilities and 19.32% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for North Carolina colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$12,412	$13,137
2015-16	$12,517 2.90%	$13,269 1.83%
2016-17	$13,019 4.32%	$13,709 1.70%
2017-18	$13,046 1.03%	$13,825 2.81%
2018-19	$13,272 3.09%	$14,015 4.02%
2019-20	$13,473 0.99%	$14,137 -0.15%
2020-21	$13,790 2.50%	$14,264 -0.58%
2021-22	$14,150 3.17%	$15,016 2.57%
2022-23	$14,706 3.84%	$15,597 3.89%
2023-24	$15,776 6.32%	$16,629 10.21%

Most Searched North Carolina Colleges (last 30 days)

Undergraduate

Duke University Private, four-years | Durham
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public, four-years | Chapel Hill
East Carolina University Public, four-years | Greenville
University of North Carolina Wilmington Public, four-years | Wilmington
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Public, four-years | Raleigh
High Point University Private, four-years | High Point
Elon University Private, four-years | Elon
North Carolina A & T State University Public, four-years | Greensboro
North Carolina Central University Public, four-years | Durham
Appalachian State University Public, four-years | Boone

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Graduate

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public, four-years | Chapel Hill
East Carolina University Public, four-years | Greenville
University of North Carolina at Pembroke Public, four-years | Pembroke
Duke University Private, four-years | Durham
Fayetteville State University Public, four-years | Fayetteville
High Point University Private, four-years | High Point
Appalachian State University Public, four-years | Boone
University of Mount Olive Private, four-years | Mount Olive
Elon University Private, four-years | Elon
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Public, four-years | Charlotte

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Online Schools

University of Mount Olive Private, four-years | Mount Olive
High Point University Private, four-years | High Point
East Carolina University Public, four-years | Greenville
Fayetteville State University Public, four-years | Fayetteville
Heritage Bible College Private, four-years | Dunn
Brevard College Private, four-years | Brevard
Elon University Private, four-years | Elon
Chowan University Private, four-years | Murfreesboro
Fayetteville Technical Community College Public, 2-4 years | Fayetteville
Saint Augustine's University Private, four-years | Raleigh

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Technical Colleges

Carolina College of Hair Design Private, Less than 2-years | Asheville
Winston Salem Barber School Private, Less than 2-years | Winston-Salem
Leons Beauty School Inc Private, Less than 2-years | Greensboro
Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design Private, Less than 2-years | Greenville
NASCAR Technical Institute Private, 2-4 years | Mooresville
Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh Private, Less than 2-years | Raleigh
No Grease Barber School Private, Less than 2-years | Charlotte
College of Wilmington Private, Less than 2-years | Wilmington
Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia Private, Less than 2-years | Gastonia
MyComputerCareer at Raleigh Private, 2-4 years | Raleigh

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Tuition Trends for North Carolina colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes