Average tuition fees rose 3% for college students in North Carolina in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Data shows that students paid $10,757 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $313 more than the previous school year.
Among the 152 institutions providing full disclosure in the state, Duke University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $62,688. Wake Forest University followed with an average of $62,128 per year. Pamlico Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $1,867.
Currently there are 153 higher education institutions in North Carolina.
At the time, at least $643.2 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started college in North Carolina. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $211.2 million.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 153 institutions in North Carolina, Watts College of Nursing did not provide detailed data on tuition fees.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Average Tuition Fees | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Duke University | $62,688 | 6,640 |
| Wake Forest University | $62,128 | 5,447 |
| Davidson College | $57,340 | 1,927 |
| NASCAR Technical Institute | $46,900 | 1,274 |
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | $43,000 | 1,529 |
| Meredith College | $42,540 | 1,322 |
| Elon University | $42,241 | 6,337 |
| High Point University | $41,916 | 5,036 |
| Guilford College | $41,140 | 1,129 |
| Queens University of Charlotte | $40,830 | 1,317 |
| Wingate University | $40,806 | 2,510 |
| Campbell University | $39,230 | 2,965 |
| Warren Wilson College | $38,450 | 723 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | $38,442 | 1,140 |
| Methodist University | $38,138 | 1,448 |
| Mars Hill University | $36,557 | 994 |
| Barton College | $34,400 | 1,187 |
| North Carolina Wesleyan University | $34,352 | 1,249 |
| Pfeiffer University | $33,290 | 683 |
| William Peace University | $33,050 | 713 |
| Catawba College | $32,868 | 1,094 |
| Gardner-Webb University | $32,200 | 1,812 |
| Salem College | $31,016 | 364 |
| Montreat College | $30,525 | 820 |
| Brevard College | $30,250 | 735 |
| St. Andrews University | $29,600 | 780 |
| Lees-McRae College | $28,840 | 855 |
| Chowan University | $25,880 | 800 |
| Miller-Motte College-Wilmington | $25,240 | 517 |
| Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville | $25,240 | 157 |
| Miller-Motte College-Raleigh | $25,240 | 166 |
| University of Mount Olive | $23,591 | 2,019 |
| Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill | $22,989 | 208 |
| Louisburg College | $21,880 | 434 |
| Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology | $20,125 | 43 |
| Chamberlain University-North Carolina | $19,629 | 268 |
| Greensboro College | $19,620 | 730 |
| Johnson C Smith University | $19,504 | 1,052 |
| South University-High Point | $19,354 | 47 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia | $19,350 | 272 |
| Empire Beauty School-Concord | $19,260 | 114 |
| Empire Beauty School-Winston-Salem | $19,260 | 57 |
| Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro | $19,260 | 104 |
| Empire Beauty School-Pineville | $19,260 | 73 |
| Empire Beauty School-Charlotte | $19,260 | 96 |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts | $18,821 | 920 |
| Bennett College | $18,550 | 168 |
| Belmont Abbey College | $18,500 | 1,475 |
| Livingstone College | $18,296 | 839 |
| No Grease Barber School | $18,272 | 24 |
| Carolina College of Hair Design Inc | $18,045 | 42 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh | $17,218 | 153 |
| College of Wilmington | $17,178 | 152 |
| Mid-Atlantic Christian University | $17,040 | 133 |
| Beyond Measure Barbering Institute | $16,950 | 61 |
| Saint Augustine’s University | $16,896 | 1,085 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte | $16,657 | 169 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Fayetteville | $16,575 | 186 |
| Shaw University | $16,480 | 924 |
| Carolinas College of Health Sciences | $16,179 | 409 |
| Mitchells Academy | $15,900 | 6 |
| MyComputerCareer at Raleigh | $15,771 | 1,251 |
| Bull City Durham Beauty and Barber College | $15,735 | 9 |
| Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | $15,560 | 451 |
| Elevate Salon Institute | $15,500 | 95 |
| Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design | $15,405 | 51 |
| Carolina University | $15,050 | 350 |
| Gwinnett College | $14,908 | 142 |
| Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary | $13,923 | 44 |
| Strayer University-North Carolina | $13,515 | 2,646 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $12,597 | 20,029 |
| North Carolina A & T State University | $12,385 | 11,833 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $12,266 | 26,254 |
| Winston Salem Barber School | $11,825 | 44 |
| Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College | $10,690 | 74 |
| North Carolina Central University | $10,621 | 5,634 |
| Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary | $10,234 | 679 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | $10,212 | 2,914 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | $10,044 | 14,294 |
| East Carolina University | $9,816 | 21,688 |
| Appalachian State University | $9,531 | 18,558 |
| Carolina Christian College | $8,930 | 47 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $8,426 | 14,198 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $8,379 | 23,461 |
| Heritage Bible College | $8,328 | 26 |
| Leons Beauty School Inc | $8,300 | 105 |
| Center for Massage | $8,245 | 49 |
| Winston-Salem State University | $8,016 | 4,513 |
| Manna University | $6,863 | 191 |
| Carolina College of Biblical Studies | $6,276 | 112 |
| Western Carolina University | $5,188 | 9,956 |
| Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville | $5,000 | 191 |
| Elizabeth City State University | $4,676 | 2,033 |
| Fayetteville State University | $4,406 | 5,748 |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | $3,930 | 5,643 |
| Coastal Carolina Community College | $3,261 | 3,611 |
| Gaston College | $3,247 | 5,558 |
| Cleveland Community College | $3,155 | 1,946 |
| Wilson Community College | $3,004 | 1,779 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | $2,955 | 6,473 |
| Central Piedmont Community College | $2,924 | 17,694 |
| Surry Community College | $2,909 | 2,797 |
| Sampson Community College | $2,899 | 1,590 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | $2,871 | 10,233 |
| Cape Fear Community College | $2,871 | 14,170 |
| Brunswick Community College | $2,839 | 1,678 |
| Nash Community College | $2,834 | 2,645 |
| Wake Technical Community College | $2,831 | 21,551 |
| Sandhills Community College | $2,826 | 3,778 |
| Piedmont Community College | $2,802 | 1,150 |
| Stanly Community College | $2,794 | 2,319 |
| Wayne Community College | $2,770 | 2,732 |
| Lenoir Community College | $2,752 | 2,199 |
| Halifax Community College | $2,731 | 995 |
| Mitchell Community College | $2,712 | 3,456 |
| Blue Ridge Community College | $2,709 | 2,794 |
| Carteret Community College | $2,671 | 1,554 |
| Tri-County Community College | $2,670 | 888 |
| Southeastern Community College | $2,661 | 1,228 |
| Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute | $2,660 | 3,703 |
| Richmond Community College | $2,659 | 2,290 |
| Johnston Community College | $2,657 | 4,282 |
| Roanoke-Chowan Community College | $2,642 | 569 |
| Western Piedmont Community College | $2,641 | 1,749 |
| Haywood Community College | $2,641 | 1,286 |
| Edgecombe Community College | $2,640 | 1,313 |
| Central Carolina Community College | $2,615 | 5,231 |
| Beaufort County Community College | $2,579 | 1,741 |
| Wilkes Community College | $2,572 | 2,321 |
| James Sprunt Community College | $2,570 | 1,359 |
| Robeson Community College | $2,563 | 1,901 |
| Mayland Community College | $2,560 | 783 |
| Bladen Community College | $2,558 | 978 |
| Montgomery Community College | $2,538 | 702 |
| Catawba Valley Community College | $2,421 | 4,172 |
| Randolph Community College | $2,416 | 2,469 |
| Southwestern Community College | $2,379 | 2,256 |
| Guilford Technical Community College | $2,373 | 10,067 |
| College of the Albemarle | $2,362 | 2,314 |
| Forsyth Technical Community College | $2,252 | 8,270 |
| Craven Community College | $2,121 | 2,701 |
| Isothermal Community College | $2,076 | 1,876 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | $2,070 | 6,754 |
| Pitt Community College | $2,032 | 7,144 |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | $2,025 | 3,921 |
| South Piedmont Community College | $2,015 | 3,338 |
| Durham Technical Community College | $2,005 | 4,294 |
| Rockingham Community College | $1,966 | 1,712 |
| McDowell Technical Community College | $1,958 | 1,100 |
| Vance-Granville Community College | $1,944 | 2,814 |
| Martin Community College | $1,915 | 842 |
| Pamlico Community College | $1,867 | 329 |
