More selective than 64% 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 $62,266. College Scorecard.
Higher than 89% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 92% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 94% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Elon University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 18,791 applicants, Elon University admitted 12,649 and 1,677 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1280 on the SAT or 23–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Elon University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Elon University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Elon University took 4.1 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 | $26,523 | $107,949 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $23,514 | $95,702 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $24,064 | $97,940 | 2.4 years |
| $75–110k | $34,472 | $140,301 | 3.4 years |
| $110k+ | $49,743 | $202,454 | 4.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (78% 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 ($74,545) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $41,029 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.
Elon University majors, earnings & careers
Elon University offers 68 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Engineering · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Communications & Media · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Education · 3
Highest-earning majors at Elon University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $112,303 | $19,500 |
| Computer Programming | $111,448 | $19,500 |
| Accounting | $105,707 | $20,000 |
| Finance | $103,426 | $19,500 |
| Marketing | $95,163 | $21,500 |
| International Business | $91,132 | — |
| Political Science | $89,685 | $20,500 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $88,983 | $19,500 |
Quick list of all 68 majors
- Accounting$105,707
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians$53,185
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$53,369
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$60,832
- Business Administration—
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$88,983
- Chemical Engineering—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$73,750
- Community Organization and Advocacy$64,011
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Programming$111,448
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- Data Analytics—
- Economics$112,303
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$63,041
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- Engineering Chemistry—
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering, Other—
- English$68,927
- Entrepreneurship$80,850
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance$103,426
- History—
- Human Resources—
- Human Services—
- Information Science / Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business$91,132
- International Relations$68,262
- Journalism$69,964
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$68,178
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$95,163
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Outdoor Education—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$89,685
- Psychology$69,856
- Public Administration—
- Public Health$81,153
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$71,121
- Special Education—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
- Writing—
— 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
Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Burlington
Overall prices in the Burlington, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,348. Housing costs 22% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Alamance County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Alamance County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Elon University with similar schools
Similar private 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elon University | 66% | $41,555 | 84% | $74,545 | This school |
| High Point University | 75% | $38,707 | 74% | $61,389 | |
| Meredith College | 74% | $22,488 | 70% | $51,539 | |
| Queens University of Charlotte | 62% | $30,857 | 61% | $57,673 | |
| Manna University | 53% | $15,210 | 80% | — |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Elon University would cost you $2,848 more per year than High Point University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Elon University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$3,984).
- High Point University gives aided families $6,130 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Elon University | HPU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $46,958 | $45,312 | +$1,646 |
| Books & supplies | $900 | $1,500 | −$600 |
| Housing & meals | $14,478 | $18,462 | −$3,984 |
| Personal & travel | $2,600 | $2,250 | +$350 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,670 | −$1,976 | −$694 |
| Sticker price | $62,266 | $65,548 | −$3,282 |
| Average grants | −$20,711 | −$26,841 | +$6,130 |
| You pay | $41,555 | $38,707 | +$2,848 |
“+” means Elon 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 Elon University
What is the Elon University acceptance rate?
Elon University accepts 66% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 12,649 of 18,791 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1280 on the SAT or 23–28 on the ACT.
How much does Elon University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $62,266 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $41,555 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $26,523 and families earning $110k+ pay $49,743.
How much do Elon University graduates earn?
Former Elon University students earn a median $74,545 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Elon University graduation rate?
84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% return for their second year.
How long does a Elon University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Elon University costs about $97,940 after grants ($24,064 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $74,545 ten years after starting, $41,029 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 2.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Elon University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Elon 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: “Elon University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/elon-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).