University of North Carolina at Pembroke

University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a less selective public university in Pembroke, North Carolina. It admits most applicants, graduates 44% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $43,407 ten years after starting college, more than 26% of the North Carolina colleges we cover.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
93%

More selective than 5% of North Carolina colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$10,260 /yr

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

Sticker price $17,261. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
44%

Higher than 30% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 31% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$43,407

Higher than 26% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 21% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

UNCP acceptance rate & admissions

Of 7,635 applicants, University of North Carolina at Pembroke admitted 7,052 and 908 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1200 on the SAT or 18–23 on the ACT.

7,635
Applied
7,052
Admitted
908
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years970–1200
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years18–23
First-years who sent SAT scores0%
First-year students who return72%
Pell Grant recipients50%
First-generation students37%
Women / men63% / 37%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

UNCP 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)

Tuition & fees, in-state$3,648
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$7,648
Housing & meals, on campus$11,016
Books & supplies$1,000
Total cost of attendance, in-state$17,261

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$15,500
Loan default rate10.2%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What UNCP costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of University of North Carolina at Pembroke 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$7,919$35,3983.6 years
$30–48k$8,892$39,7474.0 years
$48–75k$10,932$48,8664.9 years
$75–110k$14,564$65,1016.6 years
$110k+$15,999$71,5167.2 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% 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 ($43,407) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,891 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.

Best-value colleges in North Carolina for your income →

UNCP majors, earnings & careers

University of North Carolina at Pembroke offers 34 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Humanities & Languages · 6
  • Science & Math · 6
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
  • Health & Medicine · 4
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Business & Finance · 3
  • Education · 3
  • Technology & Computing · 3
  • Communications & Media · 1

Highest-earning majors at UNCP

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Computer Science$80,579$27,000
Nursing$78,674$29,710
Chemistry$63,288$25,766
Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$62,355$30,479
Business Administration$55,233$26,675
Political Science$53,779$26,500
Computer and Information Sciences$53,022$27,000
Social Work$52,344$27,000
Quick list of all 34 majors
  • Accounting—
  • Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
  • Biology$48,285
  • Biotechnology—
  • Business—
  • Business Administration$55,233
  • Chemistry$63,288
  • Communications$41,864
  • Computer and Information Sciences$53,022
  • Computer Science$80,579
  • Criminal Justice$50,382
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,034
  • Education (Subject Teaching)$48,370
  • English—
  • Environmental Science / Conservation$49,806
  • Ethnic / Gender Studies—
  • History$49,535
  • Information Technology—
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science$44,669
  • Mathematics—
  • Medical Laboratory Science—
  • Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$62,355
  • Music—
  • Nursing$78,674
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
  • Physics—
  • Political Science$53,779
  • Psychology$42,947
  • Social Work$52,344
  • Sociology$44,935
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Special Education—
  • Studio Art$36,793
  • 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 →

Criminal Justice → Police officer

$59,300
North Carolina
$76,210
U.S.

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

Biology → Biological technician

$61,720
North Carolina
$57,510
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Pembroke

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$813/mo

2 bedrooms $1,012.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
55° / 91°

January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Moderate

Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Robeson County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)7,630
First-year students from North Carolina82%
Next most common home statesSouth Carolina, Florida, Maryland
AthleticsNCAA Division II with football · 10 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's
Campus typePrimarily residential
Student bodyWhite 33% · Black 27% · American Indian/Alaska Native 14% · Hispanic 11%International 4%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Robeson County at a glance

Population116,902
Median household income$41,978
Adults with a bachelor's degree15%
Median age36

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare UNCP 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.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
University of North Carolina at Pembroke93%$10,26044%$43,407This school
North Carolina Central University87%$15,35942%$42,968
Fayetteville State University82%$7,89238%$40,144
University of North Carolina Asheville92%$12,25054%$44,030
Winston-Salem State University78%$13,47947%$45,344

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 Pembroke would cost you $5,099 less per year than North Carolina Central University, on average.

  • Lower sticker price at University of North Carolina at Pembroke, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$3,744).
  • North Carolina Central University gives aided families $4,196 more in grants, on average.
Per year, North Carolina residentUNCPNorth Carolina Central UniversityDifference
Tuition & fees$3,648$6,699−$3,051
Books & supplies$1,000$1,500−$500
Housing & meals$11,016$14,760−$3,744
Personal & travel$3,078$3,986−$908
Living-at-home adjustment−$1,481−$389−$1,092
Sticker price$17,261$26,556−$9,295
Average grants−$7,001−$11,197+$4,196
You pay$10,260$15,359−$5,099

“+” means UNCP 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 UNCP

What is the UNCP acceptance rate?

University of North Carolina at Pembroke accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,052 of 7,635 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1200 on the SAT or 18–23 on the ACT.

How much does University of North Carolina at Pembroke cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $17,261 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $10,260 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,919 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,999.

How much do UNCP graduates earn?

Former University of North Carolina at Pembroke students earn a median $43,407 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the UNCP graduation rate?

44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.

How long does a UNCP degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of North Carolina at Pembroke costs about $48,866 after grants ($10,932 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,407 ten years after starting, $9,891 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

Is UNCP the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing UNCP 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 in

We 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: “University of North Carolina at Pembroke: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-pembroke (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).