Understanding Tuition and Fees at North Carolina State University

Navigating the financial landscape of higher education can be complex. This article provides a comprehensive overview of tuition, fees, and related costs associated with attending North Carolina State University (NC State) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Understanding these costs is crucial for prospective students and their families as they plan for their educational investment.

Tuition Costs: In-State vs. Out-of-State

North Carolina State University's tuition differs significantly based on residency status. For in-state students, the tuition is $6,731. Out-of-state students face a considerably higher tuition rate of $32,445.

It's important to note that these figures represent tuition only. When combined with mandatory fees, the total cost before other expenses is $9,028 for in-state students and $33,993 for out-of-state students.

A Comparison with National Averages

Compared with the national average cost of in-state tuition of $12,436, North Carolina State University is cheaper for resident students. However, for students coming from out of state, the tuition is more expensive than the national average cost of out-of-state tuition of $29,815.

Mandatory Fees: What They Cover

In addition to tuition, all students are required to pay fees. These fees fund various services, facilities, and programs available to students, regardless of whether they directly use them. These include:

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Library services
Student gym facilities
Student centers
Technology resources
Campus health centers

The fees are the same for both residents and nonresidents and are required of all students.

Specific Fees to Consider

Course Ready Material Program: Degree-seeking undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the Course Ready Material Program through the bookstore. Students can opt out of the program on the Student Accounts tile in the MyPack Portal by the semester's census date.
COE Program Enhancement Fee: Students enrolled in the College of Engineering will be charged a COE Program Enhancement Fee. Undergraduates will be charged $62.50 per credit hour ($750.00 for full-time 12+ hours). Each semester graduate students will be charged $83.33 per credit hour. This fee is used for program and infrastructure improvements in the College of Engineering to ensure engineering students are provided career-ready skills.
Cooperative Education Program Fee: Required of all participating co-op students for each semester in which they are enrolled in an off campus work assignment. This fee, set at $490 for the 2024 Fall Semester, the 2025 Spring Semester, or the combined 2025 Summer Sessions, is used for partial support of the Cooperative Education Program staff in job development and placement activities.
Professional Golf Management Fee: Students enrolled in the Professional Golf Management program (PGM) will be charged $350/semester.
Health Insurance: An additional Mandatory Health Insurance charge will be included on your account unless you waive out of the semester premium charge.

Total Cost of Attendance: Beyond Tuition and Fees

While tuition and fees are significant, they are not the only expenses students face. The total cost of attendance includes:

Tuition and fees (the sticker price)
Cost of food and housing
Books and supplies
Transportation
Personal expenses

At North Carolina State University, the total cost is $27,030 for in-state students and $51,078 for out-of-state students.

Estimated Annual Expenses (Full-Time Undergraduates)

The chart below lists estimated annual expenses for full-time undergraduate students living on campus, off campus, with their parents or other relatives, or on or off campus with dependents. Indicated costs are good faith estimates. Indicated tuition and fees are the rates for new students effective Fall 2024 for 2024-25 and Fall 2025 for 2025-26. Students enrolled in the College of Engineering, Bachelor of Architecture (5th year) program and Professional Golf Management program may incur additional tuition or fee amounts.

Room Rent: New incoming students receive instructions on how to apply for housing with the letter of acceptance. Continuing students receive room reservation information each January at their residence hall rooms. The 2024-2025 residence hall room rent typically range from $3,650 to $4,100 per semester plus mandatory charges for ResNet ($140) and streaming/cable ($48).

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Meals: During their first academic year, new freshmen living on campus are required to participate in one of the university’s available meal plans. Meal plans are available to all registered students and costs for 2024-2025 range from $1,170 to $2,890 plus tax.

For undergraduate students that opt out and all other students, books and supplies can be purchased directly from the NCSU Bookstores or elsewhere.

Understanding Net Price

The "sticker price" is rarely what students actually pay. The net price is the amount a student pays after subtracting grants and scholarships from the total cost of attendance. This figure is highly individual, depending on a student's financial circumstances and the college's financial aid policies.

Net Price at NC State

At North Carolina State University at Raleigh, the projected average net price is $15,867.

How much a student actually pays usually depends, at least in part, on their family's household income. At North Carolina State University at Raleigh this year, we project students with incomes over $110K will pay around $25,852, while students with incomes below $30K will pay around $6,620. That's a difference of $19,232.

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Net Price by Income Bracket, 25-26 School Year

<$30K: $6,620
$30K-$48K: $9,258
$48K-$75K: $14,940
$75K-$110K: $21,768
>$110K: $25,852

Financial Aid: Grants, Loans, and Scholarships

Financial aid can significantly reduce the cost of attending NC State. Aid packages can include grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study jobs.

Key Financial Aid Information

Students Receiving Financial Aid: 43.36%
Average Aid Package: $14,720
Need-Based Scholarship or Grant Award: $12,635
Need-Based Loan Amount: $4,023
Debt at Graduation: $25,344
Financial Aid Application Due: March 1

Financial Aid Dates

Application Due: Mar 1 The last day to apply for financial aid or turn in related paperwork.
Priority Application Due: Not available Applications received prior to this date will be given the strongest consideration. Still apply for financial aid if you don’t make this due date.
Notification Date: Apr 1 When students receive a letter with the amount and types of aid the college is offering.
Response Due: Not available The deadline for students to respond to the college’s aid offer.

Residency and Tuition Classification

Residency plays a crucial role in determining tuition costs. To qualify for in-state tuition, a student must be a legal resident of North Carolina and have maintained that legal residence for at least 12 continuous months prior to being considered for in-state residency.

Residency Determination Service (RDS)

The Residency Determination Service (RDS) was established in coordination with the University of North Carolina (UNC), the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) as the centralized service for determining residency for students. This service enables a student to use one residency determination for admissions applications to multiple North Carolina public colleges and universities and to demonstrate residency for state aid programs consideration at all (public and private) North Carolina colleges and universities. In compliance with state law, the UNC system requires Undergraduate, Agricultural Institute, and Non-Degree Studies students to request a residency classification through the RDS. Learn more online.

Key Aspects of Residency

Legal Residence vs. Residence for Tuition Purposes: Twelve months legal residence means maintaining a domicile (permanent home of indefinite duration) as opposed to “maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education.”
Burden of Proof: The burden of establishing facts which justify classification of a student as a resident entitled to in-state tuition rates is on the applicant for such classification.
Parents’ Domicile: If an individual, irrespective of age, has living parent(s) or court appointed guardian of the person, the domicile of such parent(s) or guardian is, prima facie, the domicile of the individual.
Effect of Marriage: Marriage alone does not prevent a person from becoming or continuing to be a resident for tuition purposes.
Military Personnel: Any active duty member of the armed services qualifying for admission to an institution of higher education but not qualifying as a resident for tuition purposes shall be charged the in-State tuition rate and applicable mandatory fees for enrollments while the member of the armed services is abiding in this State incident to active military duty in this State.

Reclassification

A student, accepted for admission, who is initially classified as a nonresident and believes he or she meets the requirements of G.S. 116-143.1, -143.3, or any other applicable laws and regulations may request a reclassification by completing the RDS process. The request for reclassification may be submitted either in direct response to the initial classification (if the student believes the initial classification is erroneous), or at a future time if the student has experienced a change in circumstances that he or she believes makes him or her eligible for in-state resident status. Students must submit requests for reclassification in accordance with approved procedures and application deadlines. The institution will not assume responsibility for initiating such an inquiry independently.

Deadlines

The deadline to submit the reclassification application along with all supporting documentation cannot be later than the 10th business day of the term for which the student is seeking residency reclassification. All conditions necessary for achieving in-state status must still be satisfied prior to the beginning of the academic term for which the student is seeking reclassification. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the documentation necessary to support his or her claims for in-state residency for tuition purposes by the applicable deadlines.

Payment Information and Deadlines

The University Cashier’s Office provides billing, financial aid disbursement and account management services to all students. A statement of tuition and fees is posted on each student’s account that registered during a normal registration period. Payment in full, an authorized payment plan, or approved financial aid information must be received by the due date appearing on the statement. The due date is approximately two weeks before classes begin. Students registering during a late registration period will be required to pay their tuition and fees at the time of registration and may be subject to a late registration fee.

Refunds and Withdrawals

The last day to reduce hours and receive a refund or reduction in rates is the same as the last day to register or add hours, typically the 10th day of a fall or spring term and the 4th day of a summer session. Tuition and Fees are not prorated after this date for reduced course loads.

Withdrawal: Dropping all courses for which you are registered constitutes a Withdrawal from the University. Refunds for official withdrawals from NC State University are prorated based upon the percentage of the enrollment period attended. No refunds are made for official withdrawals after 50 percent of the enrollment period has passed. In some instances circumstances such as severe medical issues can justify an appeal of your refund percentage. You may submit an appeal to the Fee Appeals Committee when you believe special consideration is merited.

Recent Tuition Increases in the UNC System

The UNC Board of Governors allowed schools to increase tuition by up to 3% for in-state undergraduates. The hikes won’t apply to current students - only to incoming classes in fall 2026 and in the future.

Tuition Changes Across the UNC System

Appalachian State University will raise tuition 2.5% for in-state students and 3% for out-of-state students.
East Carolina University is raising undergraduate tuition by 3% for in-state and out-of-state students. Costs aren’t increasing for graduate students.
Elizabeth City State University isn’t raising tuition for in-state undergrads.
Fayetteville State University isn’t raising tuition for in-state undergrads, holding it at $1,000.
NC A&T State University will raise tuition by 3% across the board.
N.C. Central University is increasing costs by 3% across the board.
At NC State University, costs are increasing by 3% across the board.
UNC Asheville now costs $4,184 for in-state undergrads, a 1.5% increase.
UNC-Chapel Hill will now cost $7,230 for in-state undergrads, a 3% increase.
UNC Charlotte will raise in-state undergrad costs by 3% and all others by 10%.
UNC Greensboro will raise costs by 3% across the board.
UNC Pembroke won’t increase tuition for in-state undergrads, but for nonresidents, tuition will increase to $7,000.
UNC Wilmington will raise tuition by 3% across the board.
UNC School of the Arts will charge in-state undergrads $6,691, a 3% increase.
Western Carolina University won’t raise tuition on in-state undergrads.
Winston-Salem State University isn’t increasing costs for in-state undergrads.

Graduation and Retention Rates

A school’s graduation rate can indicate how likely a student is to complete their degree. At North Carolina State University at Raleigh, over the last five years 85% of students earned their bachelor’s degree within six years of enrolling.

Over the last five years, at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, about 94% of full-time students returned the following fall to continue their degree.

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