University of North Carolina Asheville is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Asheville, North Carolina. It enrolls 2,910 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes40
Value77
Affordability68
Selectivity43
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 91.9%, University of North Carolina Asheville is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
91.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1170 – 1360
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
23 – 29
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of North Carolina Asheville is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
9.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending University of North Carolina Asheville isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $12,250 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$12,250
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
32%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
39%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$7,501
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$24,849
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,992
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,992
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,250
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,250
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,685
Application fee: $75 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$8,219
$30,001 – $48,000
$8,735
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,570
$75,001 – $110,000
$15,854
Over $110,000
$18,786
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,50010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$20,500Medianpercentile
$24,00075%percentile
$29,90490%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,250
↓ $5,250
No Pell $12,600
↓ $7,900
Dependent students $14,000
↓ $6,500
Independent students $16,030
↓ $4,470
Female students $14,250
↓ $6,250
Male students $14,000
↓ $6,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($20,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
60% of full-time students who enrolled at University of North Carolina Asheville graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered University of North Carolina Asheville earn a median of $44,030 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$44,030
Earning > $25K
72%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$36,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$42,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$35,100
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$39,000
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$42,000
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $6,200, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
16.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 75% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
University of North Carolina Asheville is home to 2,910 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,910
Part-Time
8%
First-Generation
22%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 72.7%2,116
Hispanic 10.3%301
Black 6.0%175
Other 4.6%133
Asian 2.0%58
International 1.9%54
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of North Carolina Asheville. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Small CityAsheville, North Carolina
Housing
Mostly residential1,563 beds on campus
Adult Learners
16%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
University of North Carolina Asheville offers
a varied set of programs:
29 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of North Carolina Asheville is 11:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$11,780
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$71M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$79,889
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
217 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
64
29%
$95,161
Associate Professors
53
24%
$86,825
Assistant Professors
44
20%
$76,817
Lecturers
56
26%
$58,284
Pros & Cons of University of North Carolina Asheville
A quick at-a-glance summary of how University of North Carolina Asheville tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
CONS
Modest first-year retention
Best for:
Based on the data, University of North Carolina Asheville is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of North Carolina Asheville
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about University of North Carolina Asheville.
Is University of North Carolina Asheville hard to get into?
University of North Carolina Asheville has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 91.9%.
What is the acceptance rate at University of North Carolina Asheville?
University of North Carolina Asheville has an acceptance rate of 91.9%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for University of North Carolina Asheville?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of North Carolina Asheville scored between 1170 and 1360 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for University of North Carolina Asheville?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of North Carolina Asheville scored between 23 and 29 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of North Carolina Asheville cost?
The average net price after aid at University of North Carolina Asheville is $12,250 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of North Carolina Asheville worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $44,030 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $12,250 per year. That's roughly 3.6x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of North Carolina Asheville known for?
University of North Carolina Asheville is best known for its programs in Psychology, Natural Resources Conservation and Research, English. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do University of North Carolina Asheville graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering University of North Carolina Asheville are $44,030, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is University of North Carolina Asheville accredited?
Yes. University of North Carolina Asheville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend University of North Carolina Asheville?
University of North Carolina Asheville enrolls 2,910 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at University of North Carolina Asheville?
University of North Carolina Asheville graduates 60% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is University of North Carolina Asheville a public or private college?
University of North Carolina Asheville is a Public institution.
Where is University of North Carolina Asheville located?
University of North Carolina Asheville is located in Asheville, North Carolina.
What programs does University of North Carolina Asheville offer?
University of North Carolina Asheville offers 29 distinct programs. The most popular include Psychology, Natural Resources Conservation and Research, English.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of North Carolina Asheville?
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of North Carolina Asheville is 11:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in North Carolina
Other colleges in North Carolina share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
