More selective than 7% 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 $21,685. College Scorecard.
Higher than 57% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 33% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 22% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of North Carolina Asheville acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,465 applicants, University of North Carolina Asheville admitted 5,131 and 630 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1360 on the SAT or 23–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of North Carolina Asheville 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 University of North Carolina Asheville costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of North Carolina Asheville 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 | $8,219 | $35,506 | 3.4 years |
| $30–48k | $8,735 | $37,735 | 3.6 years |
| $48–75k | $11,570 | $49,982 | 4.8 years |
| $75–110k | $15,854 | $68,489 | 6.5 years |
| $110k+ | $18,786 | $81,156 | 7.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (41% 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 ($44,030) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,514 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.
University of North Carolina Asheville majors, earnings & careers
University of North Carolina Asheville offers 31 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of North Carolina Asheville
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | $88,346 | $31,000 |
| Computer Science | $88,084 | $23,970 |
| Accounting | $69,472 | $22,612 |
| Economics | $66,736 | $18,791 |
| Chemistry | $60,021 | $12,825 |
| Business Administration | $56,479 | $17,492 |
| Mathematics | $56,247 | $24,455 |
| Political Science | $55,698 | $25,821 |
Quick list of all 31 majors
- Accounting$69,472
- Anthropology—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biology$47,302
- Business Administration$56,479
- Chemistry$60,021
- Classics—
- Communications$42,743
- Computer Science$88,084
- Economics$66,736
- Engineering$88,346
- English$33,714
- Environmental Science / Conservation$46,518
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- German—
- History$38,565
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$41,796
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics$56,247
- Music$37,484
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$55,698
- Psychology$40,673
- Public Health$42,267
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$44,824
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts$40,444
— 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 →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
Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Asheville
Overall prices in the Asheville, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,866. Housing costs 7% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 40 inches of rain a year, 12 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Buncombe County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Buncombe County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of North Carolina Asheville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina Asheville | 92% | $12,250 | 54% | $44,030 | This school |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | 93% | $10,260 | 44% | $43,407 | |
| Winston-Salem State University | 78% | $13,479 | 47% | $45,344 | |
| North Carolina Central University | 87% | $15,359 | 42% | $42,968 | |
| Fayetteville State University | 82% | $7,892 | 38% | $40,144 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of North Carolina Asheville would cost you $1,990 more per year than University of North Carolina at Pembroke, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of North Carolina Asheville, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$3,853).
- University of North Carolina Asheville gives aided families $2,434 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | University of North Carolina Asheville | UNCP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,501 | $3,648 | +$3,853 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,000 | +$200 |
| Housing & meals | $11,018 | $11,016 | +$2 |
| Personal & travel | $2,600 | $3,078 | −$478 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$634 | −$1,481 | +$847 |
| Sticker price | $21,685 | $17,261 | +$4,424 |
| Average grants | −$9,435 | −$7,001 | −$2,434 |
| You pay | $12,250 | $10,260 | +$1,990 |
“+” means University of North Carolina Asheville 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 University of North Carolina Asheville
What is the University of North Carolina Asheville acceptance rate?
University of North Carolina Asheville accepts 92% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,131 of 5,465 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1360 on the SAT or 23–29 on the ACT.
How much does University of North Carolina Asheville cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $21,685 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,250 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,219 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,786.
How much do University of North Carolina Asheville graduates earn?
Former University of North Carolina Asheville students earn a median $44,030 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of North Carolina Asheville graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a University of North Carolina Asheville degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of North Carolina Asheville costs about $49,982 after grants ($11,570 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $44,030 ten years after starting, $10,514 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.8 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: “University of North Carolina Asheville: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-asheville (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).