28 colleges in North Carolina with an average net price under $20,000 a year, ranked by what families actually pay after aid. Cheapest: Elizabeth City State University at $6,364.
Net price is the average a family pays after grant aid — not the published sticker price. Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Schools granting only associate degrees are excluded, so a community college appears here only if it also awards bachelor's degrees.
Compare these on the map| # | College | Net price / yr | Graduates | Accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC |
$6,364$17,701 | 44% | 64% |
| 2 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC |
$7,892$16,652 | 38% | 82% |
| 3 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC |
$10,260$17,261 | 44% | 93% |
| 4 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC |
$10,846$20,427 | 57% | 50% |
| 5 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC |
$10,965$21,373 | 56% | 89% |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC |
$11,655$26,055 | 91% | 15% |
| 7 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC |
$12,250$21,685 | 54% | 92% |
| 8 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC |
$13,090$22,632 | 58% | 75% |
| 9 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC |
$13,315$19,992 | 60% | 82% |
| 10 | Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC |
$13,479$23,147 | 47% | 78% |
| 11 | Livingstone College Salisbury, NC |
$13,479$28,305 | 28% | 59% |
| 12 | Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC |
$14,086$39,027 | 30% | 69% |
| 13 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC |
$14,906$26,470 | 78% | 30% |
| 14 | North Carolina Central University Durham, NC |
$15,359$26,556 | 42% | 87% |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC |
$15,435$23,010 | 69% | 80% |
| 16 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC |
$15,739$23,867 | 63% | 89% |
| 17 | Shaw University Raleigh, NC |
$16,512$30,861 | 22% | 80% |
| 18 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC |
$16,836$23,169 | 75% | 90% |
| 19 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC |
$17,303$26,425 | 85% | 42% |
| 20 | Davidson College Davidson, NC |
$17,379$79,475 | 91% | 13% |
| 21 | North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount, NC |
$17,432$49,974 | 42% | 80% |
| 22 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, NC |
$17,618$26,375 | 71% | 23% |
| 23 | Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC |
$17,674$47,091 | 55% | 77% |
| 24 | Catawba College Salisbury, NC |
$17,879$49,516 | 47% | 75% |
| 25 | Greensboro College Greensboro, NC |
$17,882$35,165 | 46% | 70% |
| 26 | University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC |
$18,853$38,569 | 52% | 76% |
| 27 | Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, NC |
$19,076$45,542 | 35% | 96% |
| 28 | Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC |
$19,910$50,099 | 45% | 68% |