With the job market being more competitive than ever before, having a degree from a university or institution is a growing necessity. However, the price of attending these universities continue to rise. According to USNews.com, the average in-state tuition in 2005 was $5,275 per year. As of 2025, the average is $12,308. That's a $7,033 difference! The average out-of-state tuition was $13,903 in 2005, only to skyrocket to an average of $29,454 now in 2025. That's a $15,551 difference!!
The thought of attending a college or university, without going into crippling debt, may seem unobtainable. Luckily, these four universities are making college affordable through the NC Promise program. Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and Western Carolina University are the four schools that participate in the program, dropping each school's in-state tuition to $500 per semester and out-of-state tuition to $2,500 per semester.
Being an alum from Fayetteville State University, I can vouch for how much of a relief it was to know I was getting my degree without going into an insane amount of debt. Here is a list of general information gathered in 2024 about each school:
Elizabeth City State University
Top 5 Undergraduate Programs: 1) Homeland Security & Law Enforcement; 2) Interdisciplinary Studies; 3) Business, Management, & Marketing; 4) Transportation & Materials Moving; 5) Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology.
Admission Rate: 64.2%
Average GPA (coming out of HS): 3.41
Total Number of Enrollment: 2,258
Fayetteville State University
Top 5 Undergraduate Programs: 1) Business, Management, & Marketing; 2) Health Professions; 3) Psychology; 4) Homeland Security, Firefighting, & Law Enforcement; 5) Liberal Arts & Sciences
Admission Rate: 82.2%
Average GPA (coming out of HS): 3.39
Total Number of Enrollment: 7,107
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Top 5 Undergraduate Programs: 1) Interdisciplinary Studies; 2) Business, Management, & Marketing; 3) Social Sciences; 4) Homeland Security, Firefighting, & Law Enforcement; 5) Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Admission Rate: 93.3%
Average GPA (coming out of HS): 3.59
Total Number of Enrollment: 7,674
Western Carolina University
Top 5 Undergraduate Programs: 1) Business, Management, & Marketing; 2) Health Professions; 3) Education; 4) Public Administration; 5) Homeland Security, Firefighting, & Law Enforcement
Admission Rate: 81.8%
Average GPA (coming out of HS): 3.83
Total Number of Enrollment: 11,686
Having the option to go to a college or university without going into a stifling amount of debt is something that students from generations before us wished they had. Granted, these universities are smaller by enrollment size when compared to universities like NC State (with a first-year undergraduate enrollment of 26,942 in 2024). However, if you desire to attend a bigger university, the option to go to one of these schools for a year or two before transferring is still a great way to save money and still have an on-campus college experience.
Visit the NC Promise page find out more about these colleges and how you can attend.
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