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North Carolina Central University

Students comparing North Carolina Central University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Durham, North Carolina6,081 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 45HBCUPublic universityUrban campus

The short answer

North Carolina Central University: U.S. News ranks it #34 on Regional Universities (South) (2026); WSJ ranks it #429 on Best Colleges in the U.S. (2026); Niche ranks it #612 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 3 stars. It enrolls 6,081 undergraduates, admits 87.0% of applicants, and posts a 41.6% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $19,735; aid recipients pay $15,359 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $42,968.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
87.0%

Above the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$15,359

54% below the $33,185 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$42,968

Below the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
41.6%

Below the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$28,250

Below the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
Not reportedNorth Carolina Central University did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Where North Carolina ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026Regional Universities (South)#34of 135Regional univ. (South)
Forbes2026America's Top CollegesNot ranked by this source
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) DollarsNot ranked by this source
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.#429of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)B#612of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value Colleges3 starsListedBest value (Money)
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Methodology sensitivity: North Carolina's position moves 62 percentile points depending on which published list you read. That is a wide spread, so which list you consult substantially changes the impression you get. How we compute this

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About North Carolina

North Carolina Central University is a public institution in Durham, North Carolina. Federal data show 72.7% first-year retention and a 16:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $15,359 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare $33,185 sticker cost against $15,359 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing North Carolina Central University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

In-state tuition & fees
$6,699

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Out-of-state tuition & fees
$19,735

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$13,450

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $33,185 a year, but the average family pays $15,359 — a 54% difference. 58.7% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run North Carolina's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    16:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    72.7%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    6,081

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    North Carolina: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $19,735 and on-campus room and board is $13,450, for a published total of $33,185 before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $15,359.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is 87.0%. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

    Similar colleges

    Matched on institutional character, overlapping majors and comparable cross-source standing.

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    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

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    Acceptance rate
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    Median earnings (10 yr)
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    6-yr graduation rate
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    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

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    Acceptance rate
    92.6%
    Average net price
    $23,433
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $58,128
    6-yr graduation rate
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    US News · National universities#139 of 436Forbes · Top colleges (Forbes)#274 of 500WSJ · U.S. colleges (WSJ)#321 of 500+3 more on profile

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    University of Arkansas

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    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

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    Acceptance rate
    74.3%
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    Median earnings (10 yr)
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    6-yr graduation rate
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    28,677 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 45 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

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