UNC System campuses set new tuition and fee rates. Here’s what students will pay.
The UNC System Board of Governors approved tuition and fees for next year across campuses Thursday, keeping the cost flat for in-state students and increasing prices for some out-of-state students.
This marks the sixth year that in-state tuition is frozen across the UNC System and students’ tuition won’t change while they’re working toward their degree.
“There is not another public university system in the country that can say that,” UNC System President Peter Hans said at Thursday’s meeting, noting the value of making universities accessible and limiting student debt by offering more affordable tuition.
N.C. State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. Central University, UNC Charlotte, UNC Wilmington and Appalachian State University each raised tuition for out-of-state undergraduate students.
NC State, NC Central, UNCC, UNCW and UNC Pembroke raised tuition for out-of-state graduate students. UNC-CH, UNCC, UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina raised costs for current and new professional programs.
Fayetteville State University is the one school that’s getting more affordable for all students as FSU joins the NC Promise Program next fall. The program sets tuition at $1,000 per year for North Carolina students and $5,000 for out-of-state students, which is about a $10,000 decrease.
Some universities increased students fees, with a system-wide average increase of less than 1%. Several universities kept fees flat.
Here’s what students and their families will pay for tuition for the 2022-23 school year, which doesn’t include costs of housing and dining plans:
N.C. State University
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $6,535
▪ graduate: $9,095
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $28,276 (+$956)
▪ graduate: $28,301 (+$1,219)
UNC-Chapel Hill
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $7,019
▪ graduate: $10,552
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $35,580 (+698)
▪ graduate: $28,844
N.C. Central University
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $3,728
▪ graduate: $4,740
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $16,764 (+$329)
▪ graduate: $18,048 (+$354)
Appalachian State University
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $4,242
▪ graduate: $4,839
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $20,246 (+397)
▪ graduate: $19,849
East Carolina University
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $4,452
▪ graduate: $4,749.00
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $20,729
▪ graduate: $17,898
Elizabeth City State University (NC Promise)
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $1,000
▪ graduate: $3,375
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $5,000
▪ graduate: $16,437
Fayetteville State University (NC Promise)
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $1,000 (-$1,982)
▪ graduate: $3,437
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $5,000 ($-9,590)
▪ graduate: $14,503
North Carolina A&T State University
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $3,540
▪ graduate: $4,745
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $17,545
▪ graduate: $19,545
UNC Asheville
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $4,122
▪ graduate: $4,914
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $21,470
▪ graduate: $21,236
UNC Charlotte
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $3,812
▪ graduate: $4,337
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $17,936 (+$690)
▪ graduate: $18,482 (+$711)
UNC Greensboro
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $4,422
▪ graduate: $5,219
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $19,581
▪ graduate: $18,937
UNC Pembroke (NC Promise)
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $1,000
▪ graduate: $4,280
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $5,000
▪ graduate: $17,339 (+$505)
UNC School of the Arts
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $6,497
▪ graduate: $9,196
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $23,731
▪ graduate: $23,899
UNC Wilmington
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $4,443
▪ graduate: $4,719
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $19,063 (+$555)
▪ graduate: $19,104 (+$556)
Western Carolina University (NC Promise)
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $1,000
▪ graduate: $4,435
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $5,000
▪ graduate: $14,842
Winston-Salem State University
For North Carolina students:
▪ undergraduate: $3,401
▪ graduate: $3,872
For out-of-state students:
▪ undergraduate: $14,057
▪ graduate: $14,406
The board approved higher athletics fees at FSU, NCCU, UNCP, UNCA and WCU. Student activities fees will be higher at NCSU and UNCA, while decreasing at UNCP. UNCA also increased its educational and technology fee.
Five schools, including ECU, ECSU, UNCC, UNCG and WSSU, increased campus security fees to meet a requirement set by the board last year. Some mandatory student fees will decrease at NCSU and UNC-CH because they met a debt service.
UNC System changes admissions requirements
The board also voted to extend a pilot program to change its minimum admission requirements across campuses that gives schools more flexibility.
Schools can accept applicants with a minimum 2.5 weighted high school GPA or a combined SAT score of 1010 or an ACT score of 19. Students still have to submit standardized test scores in their admissions applications, so this change does not make UNC System school test-optional.
The move is based on research that shows GPA is a better predictor of student success and graduation rates than standardized test scores. The board expects to gather more accurate data for a future decision on whether to revise the policy permanently.
The board’s committee on educational planning, policies and programs also approved policy changes for three historically Black universities to admit more out-of-state students to increase enrollment.
Currently, most UNC System schools are penalized if they admit more than 18% of freshmen students from other states. The board raised the cap to 25% for all HBCUs last year.
Some campus leaders, particularly at HBCUs and schools along North Carolina’s border, have advocated for the cap to be raised to help them increase enrollment and accept higher-caliber students who don’t live in North Carolina. It also offers a financial benefit because those out-of-state students pay higher tuition.
The committee proposed to increase the cap to 35% at N.C. A&T State University and N.C. Central. The cap would increase to 50% at Elizabeth City State University, which sits in the northeastern corner of the state.
The revision will be on the agenda for approval by the full board at the next meeting in April.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 2:55 PM with the headline "UNC System campuses set new tuition and fee rates. Here’s what students will pay.."
