More selective than 22% 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 $16,652. College Scorecard.
Higher than 18% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 23% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 20% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 13% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Fayetteville State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,043 applicants, Fayetteville State University admitted 4,029 and 807 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1090 on the SAT or 15–19 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Fayetteville State University took 4.5 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 | $6,233 | $28,360 | 4.3 years |
| $30–48k | $6,908 | $31,431 | 4.7 years |
| $48–75k | $8,983 | $40,873 | 6.2 years |
| $75–110k | $13,354 | $60,761 | 9.2 years |
| $110k+ | $14,112 | $64,210 | 9.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (21% 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 ($40,144) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,628 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.
Fayetteville State University majors, earnings & careers
Fayetteville State University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Science & Math · 5
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Fayetteville State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $88,701 | $22,052 |
| Fire Protection | $73,969 | $15,777 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $50,732 | $30,087 |
| Biology | $48,881 | $25,000 |
| Business Administration | $48,094 | $28,786 |
| Criminal Justice | $46,660 | $26,000 |
| Social Work | $46,119 | $32,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $45,610 | $35,680 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting—
- Biology$48,881
- Biotechnology—
- Business Administration$48,094
- Chemistry—
- Communications$38,325
- Computer Science$36,164
- Criminal Justice$46,660
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,732
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Finance—
- Fire Protection$73,969
- Geography—
- Health Administration$42,270
- History—
- Information Technology—
- Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$45,610
- Management Information Systems—
- Materials Sciences—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$88,701
- Political Science—
- Psychology$43,358
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Work$46,119
- Sociology$43,889
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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 →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
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 Fayetteville
Overall prices in the Fayetteville, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,476. Housing costs 27% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 1 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cumberland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cumberland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Fayetteville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville State University | 82% | $7,892 | 38% | $40,144 | This school |
| North Carolina Central University | 87% | $15,359 | 42% | $42,968 | |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | 93% | $10,260 | 44% | $43,407 | |
| Winston-Salem State University | 78% | $13,479 | 47% | $45,344 | |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | 92% | $12,250 | 54% | $44,030 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Fayetteville State University would cost you $7,467 less per year than North Carolina Central University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Fayetteville State University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$3,458).
- North Carolina Central University gives aided families $2,437 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Fayetteville State University | North Carolina Central University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $4,353 | $6,699 | −$2,346 |
| Books & supplies | $420 | $1,500 | −$1,080 |
| Housing & meals | $11,302 | $14,760 | −$3,458 |
| Personal & travel | $2,616 | $3,986 | −$1,370 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,039 | −$389 | −$1,650 |
| Sticker price | $16,652 | $26,556 | −$9,904 |
| Average grants | −$8,760 | −$11,197 | +$2,437 |
| You pay | $7,892 | $15,359 | −$7,467 |
“+” means Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State University
What is the Fayetteville State University acceptance rate?
Fayetteville State University accepts 82% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,029 of 5,043 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1090 on the SAT or 15–19 on the ACT.
How much does Fayetteville State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $16,652 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $7,892 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $6,233 and families earning $110k+ pay $14,112.
How much do Fayetteville State University graduates earn?
Former Fayetteville State University students earn a median $40,144 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Fayetteville State University graduation rate?
38% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year.
How long does a Fayetteville State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Fayetteville State University costs about $40,873 after grants ($8,983 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $40,144 ten years after starting, $6,628 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 6.2 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: “Fayetteville State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/fayetteville-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).