48 colleges in North Carolina with an average net price under $30,000 a year, ranked by what families actually pay after aid. Cheapest: Elizabeth City State University at $8,048.
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 |
$8,048$19,278 | 46% | 64% |
| 2 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC |
$8,500$24,978 | 50% | 75% |
| 3 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC |
$9,884$21,376 | 56% | 50% |
| 4 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC |
$10,009$18,958 | 37% | 82% |
| 5 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC |
$10,522$17,991 | 44% | 93% |
| 6 | Livingstone College Salisbury, NC |
$10,838$28,268 | 20% | 59% |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC |
$11,305$26,949 | 91% | 15% |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC |
$12,291$23,264 | 58% | 89% |
| 9 | Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC |
$12,817$22,875 | 47% | 78% |
| 10 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC |
$13,025$21,165 | 61% | 82% |
| 11 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC |
$14,859$27,371 | 80% | 30% |
| 12 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC |
$14,999$25,943 | 52% | 92% |
| 13 | Davidson College Davidson, NC |
$15,060$84,260 | 90% | 13% |
| 14 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC |
$15,142$23,556 | 68% | 80% |
| 15 | Catawba College Salisbury, NC |
$15,993$50,684 | 48% | 75% |
| 16 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC |
$16,082$24,140 | 71% | 90% |
| 17 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, NC |
$16,171$23,911 | 44% | 23% |
| 18 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC |
$16,486$27,073 | 85% | 42% |
| 19 | North Carolina Central University Durham, NC |
$16,708$27,916 | 47% | 87% |
| 20 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC |
$16,880$25,015 | 63% | 89% |
| 21 | Greensboro College Greensboro, NC |
$18,187$37,024 | 42% | 70% |
| 22 | Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, NC |
$18,641$45,587 | 50% | 85% |
| 23 | Strayer University-North Carolina Greensboro, NC |
$18,695$25,158 | 0% | — |
| 24 | University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC |
$18,927$39,759 | 42% | 76% |
| 25 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC |
$19,570$28,004 | 72% | 64% |
| 26 | Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC |
$19,783$43,200 | 27% | 69% |
| 27 | North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount, NC |
$20,318$50,704 | 45% | 80% |
| 28 | Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC |
$20,442$52,600 | 46% | 68% |
| 29 | Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC |
$21,150$51,623 | 48% | 77% |
| 30 | Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC |
$21,397$36,350 | 34% | 45% |
| 31 | Wingate University Wingate, NC |
$21,511$59,650 | 43% | 91% |
| 32 | Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, NC |
$22,696$50,124 | 48% | 96% |
| 33 | Meredith College Raleigh, NC |
$22,801$61,939 | 72% | 74% |
| 34 | Guilford College Greensboro, NC |
$22,813$56,920 | 43% | 80% |
| 35 | William Peace University Raleigh, NC |
$23,002$51,287 | 49% | 94% |
| 36 | Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC |
$23,319$59,238 | 40% | 71% |
| 37 | Duke University Durham, NC |
$23,706$90,696 | 96% | 6% |
| 38 | Shaw University Raleigh, NC |
$24,242$31,486 | 20% | 80% |
| 39 | Barton College Wilson, NC |
$24,367$52,859 | 47% | 94% |
| 40 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC |
$25,057$62,825 | 59% | 87% |
| 41 | Montreat College Montreat, NC |
$25,095$50,120 | 43% | 69% |
| 42 | Belmont Abbey College Belmont, NC |
$25,416$35,667 | 50% | 75% |
| 43 | Brevard College Brevard, NC |
$25,617$49,720 | 40% | 42% |
| 44 | Methodist University Fayetteville, NC |
$25,760$57,639 | 39% | 75% |
| 45 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte, NC |
$26,258$59,382 | 39% | 80% |
| 46 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC |
$28,165$91,202 | 90% | 22% |
| 47 | Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, NC |
$28,253$53,853 | 47% | 77% |
| 48 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC |
$29,421$69,698 | 57% | 62% |