University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tuition, cost & net price

The sticker price at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $26,055 a year for North Carolina residents. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $11,655 on average, and what your family pays depends mostly on income. Choose yours below.

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What your family pays
$11,655 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $26,055. College Scorecard.

Net price by family income

Average after grants and scholarships for North Carolina residents receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year

Sticker price, line by line

Per year, living on campusIn-stateOut-of-state
Tuition & fees$8,994$41,203
Housing & meals$13,016$13,016
Books & supplies$1,290$1,290
Personal & travel$2,814$2,814
Living-at-home adjustment−$59−$59
Total cost of attendance$26,055$58,264

Cost items: IPEDS 2023-24, on-campus budget. Total: College Scorecard, which averages students living on and off campus; the adjustment row reconciles the two. Out-of-state total = in-state total with out-of-state tuition.

Debt after graduation

Median federal loan debt$12,989
Loan default rate1.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort
Debt as a share of earnings 10 years out18%

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Who gets aid

Students with Pell Grants20%Federal grants for lower-income students
Grants for the average aided student$14,400Sticker price minus average net price

College Scorecard

Need-based and merit aid at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported for full-time first-year students in fall 2025. Merit aid is the money net price averages miss for families who don't qualify for need-based aid.

If you qualify for need-based aid

If you don't qualify for need-based aid

Average merit scholarship from the college$7,233Students with no financial need; excludes athletic awards and tuition benefits
Students without need who got one275first-year students

Items H2-H2A. Common Data Set 2025-26 (fall 2025 first-year students), published by the college.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill net price compared with other North Carolina colleges

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has the 6th-lowest average net price of 56 North Carolina colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAvg. net priceGraduationEarnings, 10 yrs
2Fayetteville State University$7,89238%$40,144
3University of North Carolina at Pembroke$10,26044%$43,407
4North Carolina A & T State University$10,84657%$44,440
5University of North Carolina at Greensboro$10,96556%$48,160
6University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$11,65591%$72,200
7University of North Carolina Asheville$12,25054%$44,030
8Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary$13,09058%—
9Western Carolina University$13,31560%$49,458
10Livingstone College$13,47928%$32,600

College Scorecard, latest year. Average for all aided students; your price depends on income. All North Carolina colleges →

Why University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill costs more or less than similar schools

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill15%$11,65591%$72,200This school
North Carolina State University at Raleigh42%$17,30385%$68,758
University of North Carolina School of the Arts30%$14,90678%$38,357
North Carolina A & T State University50%$10,84657%$44,440
University of North Carolina Wilmington64%$20,10971%$54,967

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill would cost you $5,648 less per year than North Carolina State University at Raleigh, on average.

  • Lower sticker price at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$703).
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gives aided families $5,278 more in grants, on average.
Per year, North Carolina residentUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillNCSUDifference
Tuition & fees$8,994$8,799+$195
Books & supplies$1,290$869+$421
Housing & meals$13,016$13,719−$703
Personal & travel$2,814$3,121−$307
Living-at-home adjustment−$59−$83+$24
Sticker price$26,055$26,425−$370
Average grants−$14,400−$9,122−$5,278
You pay$11,655$17,303−$5,648

“+” means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 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.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill cost questions

How much is tuition at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?

Tuition and fees are $8,994 a year for North Carolina residents and $41,203 for out-of-state students.

What is the total cost of attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?

The total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books and personal costs, is $26,055 a year for North Carolina residents living on campus and about $58,264 for out-of-state students.

What do families actually pay at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?

After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $11,655 a year on average. Families earning $0–30k pay $2,004; $48–75k pay $8,538; $110k+ pay $24,396. These figures are for North Carolina residents.

Does University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill give merit scholarships?

For fall 2025, 275 full-time first-year students with no financial need received merit scholarships or grants from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, averaging $7,233 (Common Data Set 2025-26, excluding athletic awards).

How much debt do University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduates have?

The median federal loan debt at graduation is $12,989, and 1.4% of borrowers defaulted within three years of entering repayment (2017 cohort).

Is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the right fit for your family?

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By). Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote; confirm with the school's net price calculator. Back to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill overview