Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $25,694 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $1.4K more than the national median. The 38% who received grants paid $10,154 on average; the other 62% paid the full sticker price of $26,109 in-state / $56,450 out-of-state.
- Full price, in-state
- $26,109 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Little need-based aid above $110K
- aid thins out for families above that income
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $2K a year |
| $30–48K | $4K a year |
| $48–75K | $9K a year |
| $75–110K | $16K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
$25,694
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
38% got grants averaging $17,814; 62% got none.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Sticker price by residency
| Rate | Tuition & fees | First-years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | $8,989 | $26,109 | 79% |
| Out-of-state | $39,330 | $56,450 | 21% |
Full cost adds books, on-campus room & board, and other expenses ($17,120) to tuition and fees.
$14K
≈ $148/month for 10 years
1.4 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
About 1 in 8 undergrads borrows federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full26%
- Paying it down31%
- Payments paused26%
- Not paying it down12%
- Behind or in default3%
- Forgiven or discharged0%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
LimitedGrants cover 21% of the $32,481 full price on average across all first-years (limited), more than at 9% of colleges. Most students here pay close to the sticker price.
$6,787 in grants per first-year ÷ $32,481 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (4,688), 2023–24
About 1 in 2 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $26,109 in-state / $56,450 out-of-state.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
By family income: only students who received federal aid, because income is only reported for them.
Aid by family income isn't reported.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
Priority date: March 1 · Aid offers: on a rolling basis from January 31 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni connection | ✓ | not marked |
| Art | ✓ | not marked |
| Athletics | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music or drama | ✓ | not marked |
| Religious affiliation | ✓ | not marked |
| State or district residency | ✓ | not marked |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
In the college's words:
“The Carolina Covenant® program - a no-loans program for qualifying low-income students (whether in-state or out-of-state) who gain admission to the University. To qualify, students must be dependent on their families and the family's adjusted gross income may not exceed 200% of the federal poverty standard, indexed by family size. In 2004, the first year of implementation, Carolina enrolled 224 Covenant Scholars. In fall 2024, Carolina enrolled 432 Covenant Scholars (312 first-year students, representing nearly 7% of our entering first-year class, plus 120 transfer students). For additional information, please see: https://studentaid.unc.edu/incoming/what-aid-is-available/carolina-covenant/”University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2026–27), 2026–27;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)