More selective than 13% 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 $23,867. College Scorecard.
Higher than 73% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 80% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 56% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ECU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 22,289 applicants, East Carolina University admitted 20,073 and 3,941 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1070–1240 on the SAT or 21–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ECU 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 ECU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of East Carolina University took 4.3 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 | $10,046 | $43,700 | 2.0 years |
| $30–48k | $11,699 | $50,891 | 2.4 years |
| $48–75k | $14,904 | $64,832 | 3.0 years |
| $75–110k | $20,417 | $88,814 | 4.1 years |
| $110k+ | $23,028 | $100,172 | 4.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (43% 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 ($55,146) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,630 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.
ECU majors, earnings & careers
East Carolina University offers 68 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Business & Finance · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Science & Math · 8
- Engineering · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at ECU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $98,406 | $27,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $90,197 | $26,923 |
| Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other | $87,848 | $22,115 |
| Engineering | $84,847 | $26,978 |
| Nursing | $82,250 | $25,264 |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $81,852 | $20,625 |
| Accounting | $79,351 | $22,814 |
| Management Information Systems | $79,238 | $25,783 |
Quick list of all 68 majors
- Accounting$79,351
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$47,321
- Anthropology$40,927
- Apparel and Textiles$56,134
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$64,205
- Business Administration$64,723
- Business Operations Support and Assistant Services$73,162
- Chemistry$71,445
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
- Communications$59,432
- Computer and Information Sciences$90,197
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$98,406
- Criminal Justice$50,722
- Dance$42,785
- Dietetics$52,463
- Drafting / Design Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Economics$64,597
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,970
- Education (Subject Teaching)$49,247
- Engineering$84,847
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other$87,848
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- English$43,585
- Entrepreneurship$58,246
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$78,324
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations$74,557
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$57,255
- Health Administration$67,732
- History$44,113
- Hospitality Management$55,541
- Human Development and Family Studies$46,941
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$81,852
- Information Science / Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$48,703
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$49,981
- Linguistics$43,012
- Management Information Systems$79,238
- Marketing$73,626
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music$39,029
- Nursing$82,250
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$47,336
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology$61,791
- Political Science$60,419
- Psychology$50,270
- Public Health$59,566
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$49,029
- Social Work$54,666
- Sociology$44,918
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$48,410
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$68,338
- Studio Art$45,817
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre$41,394
- Writing$43,647
— 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 →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Greenville
Overall prices in the Greenville, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,167. Housing costs 43% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Pitt County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pitt County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ECU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina University | 89% | $15,739 | 63% | $55,146 | This school |
| Appalachian State University | 90% | $16,836 | 75% | $51,836 | |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 89% | $10,965 | 56% | $48,160 | |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 80% | $15,435 | 69% | $57,289 | |
| 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
East Carolina University would cost you $1,097 less per year than Appalachian State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at East Carolina University, mostly from a higher 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 | ECU | Appalachian State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,361 | $7,579 | −$218 |
| Books & supplies | $1,794 | $800 | +$994 |
| Housing & meals | $11,000 | $12,258 | −$1,258 |
| Personal & travel | $4,176 | $2,725 | +$1,451 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$464 | −$193 | −$271 |
| Sticker price | $23,867 | $23,169 | +$698 |
| Average grants | −$8,128 | −$6,333 | −$1,795 |
| You pay | $15,739 | $16,836 | −$1,097 |
“+” means ECU 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 ECU
What is the ECU acceptance rate?
East Carolina University accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 20,073 of 22,289 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1070–1240 on the SAT or 21–26 on the ACT.
How much does East Carolina University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,867 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,739 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,046 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,028.
How much do ECU graduates earn?
Former East Carolina University students earn a median $55,146 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ECU graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 83% return for their second year.
How long does a ECU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at East Carolina University costs about $64,832 after grants ($14,904 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,146 ten years after starting, $21,630 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “East Carolina University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/east-carolina-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).