More selective than 11% of North Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $23,169. College Scorecard.
Higher than 84% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 85% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 72% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 46% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Appalachian State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 24,001 applicants, Appalachian State University admitted 21,275 and 4,227 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1120–1280 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Appalachian State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for North Carolina residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Appalachian State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Appalachian State University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in North Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,325 | $39,445 | 2.2 years |
| $30–48k | $11,600 | $49,068 | 2.7 years |
| $48–75k | $15,204 | $64,313 | 3.5 years |
| $75–110k | $20,840 | $88,153 | 4.8 years |
| $110k+ | $22,382 | $94,676 | 5.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (58% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($51,836) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,320 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Appalachian State University majors, earnings & careers
Appalachian State University offers 72 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 12
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Science & Math · 9
- Arts & Design · 7
- Communications & Media · 5
- Engineering · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at Appalachian State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $97,670 | $22,500 |
| Management Information Systems | $87,041 | $23,551 |
| Accounting | $85,580 | $23,262 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $83,033 | $24,250 |
| Physics | $82,399 | $22,096 |
| Insurance | $82,306 | $18,625 |
| Construction Management | $80,257 | $20,280 |
| Nursing | $78,943 | $20,000 |
Quick list of all 72 majors
- Accounting$85,580
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$52,440
- Anthropology$42,107
- Apparel and Textiles$58,516
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Area Studies—
- Arts and Entertainment Management$44,297
- Biology$53,228
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$55,235
- Business Administration$64,932
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry$58,329
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
- Classics—
- Communications$55,307
- Computer Science$97,670
- Construction Management$80,257
- Criminal Justice$55,474
- Dance—
- Dietetics$50,403
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$67,285
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,057
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,255
- Energy Systems Technologies / Technicians$76,914
- English$45,954
- Environmental Control Technologies / Technicians$69,956
- Environmental Science / Conservation$46,207
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$75,396
- Food Science and Technology$53,369
- Geography$58,289
- Geology / Earth Science$53,269
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$53,543
- Graphic Communications—
- Health Administration$66,227
- History$40,371
- Hospitality Management$48,546
- Human Development and Family Studies$40,461
- Information Technology—
- Insurance$82,306
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business$72,852
- Journalism$48,243
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,594
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics$55,778
- Management Information Systems$87,041
- Management Science / Analytics$83,033
- Marketing$69,439
- Mathematics$62,271
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,943
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$41,052
- Philosophy—
- Physics$82,399
- Political Science$54,344
- Psychology$47,720
- Public Health$49,039
- Public Relations and Advertising$55,671
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$51,012
- Sociology$47,180
- Special Education$50,264
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$53,125
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$41,002
- Theatre$44,986
- Veterinary / Animal Health Technologies / Technicians—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Boone
2 bedrooms $1,311.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 59 inches of rain a year, 26 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Watauga County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Watauga County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Appalachian State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in North Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State University | 90% | $16,836 | 75% | $51,836 | This school |
| East Carolina University | 89% | $15,739 | 63% | $55,146 | |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 80% | $15,435 | 69% | $57,289 | |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 89% | $10,965 | 56% | $48,160 | |
| Western Carolina University | 82% | $13,315 | 60% | $49,458 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Appalachian State University would cost you $1,097 more per year than East Carolina University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Appalachian State University, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$1,451).
- East Carolina University gives aided families $1,795 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Appalachian State University | ECU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,579 | $7,361 | +$218 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $1,794 | −$994 |
| Housing & meals | $12,258 | $11,000 | +$1,258 |
| Personal & travel | $2,725 | $4,176 | −$1,451 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$193 | −$464 | +$271 |
| Sticker price | $23,169 | $23,867 | −$698 |
| Average grants | −$6,333 | −$8,128 | +$1,795 |
| You pay | $16,836 | $15,739 | +$1,097 |
“+” means Appalachian State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Appalachian State University
What is the Appalachian State University acceptance rate?
Appalachian State University accepts 90% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 21,275 of 24,001 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1120–1280 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
How much does Appalachian State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,169 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,836 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,325 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,382.
How much do Appalachian State University graduates earn?
Former Appalachian State University students earn a median $51,836 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Appalachian State University graduation rate?
75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a Appalachian State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Appalachian State University costs about $64,313 after grants ($15,204 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,836 ten years after starting, $18,320 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Appalachian State University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Appalachian State University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Appalachian State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/appalachian-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).