More selective than 18% 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 $26,556. College Scorecard.
Higher than 20% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 24% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
North Carolina Central University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 14,192 applicants, North Carolina Central University admitted 12,842 and 1,465 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
North Carolina Central 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 North Carolina Central University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of North Carolina Central 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 | $13,032 | $58,514 | 6.2 years |
| $30–48k | $13,882 | $62,330 | 6.6 years |
| $48–75k | $17,527 | $78,696 | 8.3 years |
| $75–110k | $22,401 | $100,580 | 10.6 years |
| $110k+ | $23,658 | $106,224 | 11.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (27% 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 ($42,968) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,452 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.
North Carolina Central University majors, earnings & careers
North Carolina Central University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at North Carolina Central University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $90,760 | $40,000 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $88,454 | $30,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $88,053 | $31,375 |
| Accounting | $78,048 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $54,999 | $30,518 |
| Biology | $54,192 | $30,420 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $53,794 | $31,880 |
| Social Work | $49,856 | $31,000 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$78,048
- Biology$54,192
- Business Administration$54,999
- Chemistry—
- Communications$43,230
- Computer and Information Sciences$88,053
- Criminal Justice$48,443
- Dietetics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$53,794
- Education (Subject Teaching)$47,124
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$46,136
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- History$48,047
- Hospitality Management$42,085
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$44,678
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$90,760
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$42,426
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$88,454
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science$47,317
- Psychology$44,053
- Public Health—
- Social Sciences$43,859
- Social Work$49,856
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art$42,067
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— 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 →Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% 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 Durham
Overall prices in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,745. Housing costs 1% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 50 inches of rain a year, 5 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Durham County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Durham County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare North Carolina Central 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Central University | 87% | $15,359 | 42% | $42,968 | This school |
| Fayetteville State University | 82% | $7,892 | 38% | $40,144 | |
| 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
North Carolina Central University would cost you $7,467 more per year than Fayetteville State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at North Carolina Central University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$3,458).
- North Carolina Central University gives aided families $2,437 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | North Carolina Central University | Fayetteville State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $6,699 | $4,353 | +$2,346 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $420 | +$1,080 |
| Housing & meals | $14,760 | $11,302 | +$3,458 |
| Personal & travel | $3,986 | $2,616 | +$1,370 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$389 | −$2,039 | +$1,650 |
| Sticker price | $26,556 | $16,652 | +$9,904 |
| Average grants | −$11,197 | −$8,760 | −$2,437 |
| You pay | $15,359 | $7,892 | +$7,467 |
“+” means North Carolina Central 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 North Carolina Central University
What is the North Carolina Central University acceptance rate?
North Carolina Central University accepts 87% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 12,842 of 14,192 applicants were admitted.
How much does North Carolina Central University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,556 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,359 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,032 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,658.
How much do North Carolina Central University graduates earn?
Former North Carolina Central University students earn a median $42,968 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the North Carolina Central University graduation rate?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.
How long does a North Carolina Central University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at North Carolina Central University costs about $78,696 after grants ($17,527 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $42,968 ten years after starting, $9,452 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 8.3 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: “North Carolina Central University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/north-carolina-central-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).