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Carolina University
Carolina University is a private campus in Winston-Salem proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. The school reports a Non-Denominational affiliation in its federal filings.
What could it cost?
Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.
Net price by family income
Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.
under $30k
These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.
Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.
Average net price at Carolina University rose from $16,669 (2015) to $20,828 (2023).
| Year | Net price |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $16,669 |
| 2016 | $13,004 |
| 2017 | $15,700 |
| 2018 | $14,461 |
| 2019 | $14,466 |
| 2020 | $13,771 |
| 2021 | $16,706 |
| 2022 | $18,866 |
| 2023 | $20,828 |
Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.
Total cost at Carolina University rose from $20,189 (2016) to $32,680 (2024).
| Year | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $20,189 |
| 2017 | $19,145 |
| 2018 | $21,224 |
| 2019 | $20,752 |
| 2020 | $22,830 |
| 2021 | $26,935 |
| 2022 | $27,373 |
| 2023 | $29,965 |
| 2024 | $32,680 |
Tuition & fees
Skip to data tablePublished tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.
| Year | Tuition & fees |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $9,650 |
| 2017 | $9,480 |
| 2018 | $9,920 |
| 2019 | $11,900 |
| 2020 | $14,580 |
| 2021 | $14,400 |
| 2022 | $15,050 |
| 2023 | $16,000 |
Cost, size & completion summary
Cost, size & completion
Reported tuition is $17,575 before grants and other attendance costs. At Carolina University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.
Enrollment sits at 460 — Carolina University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
21.6% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Carolina University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.
Do students finish — and what comes after?
Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.
The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.
The six-year graduation rate at Carolina University fell from 44.7% (entered 2010) to 21.6% (entered 2018).
A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.
| Year | Graduated within 6 yrs |
|---|---|
| 2010 cohort | 44.7% |
| 2011 cohort | 33.7% |
| 2012 cohort | 36.4% |
| 2013 cohort | 41.4% |
| 2014 cohort | 46.2% |
| 2015 cohort | 50% |
| 2016 cohort | 32.1% |
| 2017 cohort | 29.2% |
| 2018 cohort | 21.6% |
Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)
Historical student groupsMedian federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.
Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.
These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.
| Year | Completed | Left without degree |
|---|---|---|
| Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17) | $12,498 | $8,500 |
| Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18) | $22,513 | $5,875 |
| Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19) | $18,250 | $5,500 |
| Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20) | $14,500 | $5,500 |
| Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21) | $20,287 | $7,417 |
Earnings after entry
Historical student groupsMedian annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.
Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.
Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.
What does the admissions record show?
Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.
Admissions snapshot & test policies
Carolina University admitted 291 of 736 applicants in Fall 2024. The 39.5% rate describes that application pool.
Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →
Admissions
In the Fall 2024 cycle, Carolina University received 736 applications and admitted 291 (39.5%), with 77 enrolling.
Carolina University did not consider scores in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. No score range is displayed for Carolina University under that historical policy.
Check current requirements with admissions.
The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.
| Year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|
| Fall 2016 | 35.6% |
| Fall 2017 | 36.3% |
| Fall 2018 | 34.5% |
| Fall 2019 | 28.6% |
| Fall 2020 | 49.7% |
| Fall 2021 | 46.3% |
| Fall 2022 | 52% |
| Fall 2023 | 34% |
| Fall 2024 | 39.5% |
Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.
| Year | 25th | 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2016 | 660 | 1070 |
| Fall 2017 | 790 | 1070 |
| Fall 2018 | 890 | 1060 |
| Fall 2019 | 840 | 1060 |
The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.
| Year | 25th | 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2016 | 15 | 18 |
| Fall 2017 | 15 | 19 |
| Fall 2018 | 16 | 20 |
| Fall 2019 | 16 | 21 |
What is the campus like?
Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.
Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.
Undergraduate enrollment at Carolina University rose from 348 (Fall 2019) to 460 (Fall 2024).
| Year | Undergraduates |
|---|---|
| Fall 2016 | 295 |
| Fall 2017 | 336 |
| Fall 2018 | — |
| Fall 2019 | 348 |
| Fall 2020 | 439 |
| Fall 2021 | 471 |
| Fall 2022 | 350 |
| Fall 2023 | 424 |
| Fall 2024 | 460 |
The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.
First-year retention at Carolina University fell from 72% (Fall 2015) to 56% (Fall 2023).
| Year | Retention |
|---|---|
| Fall 2015 cohort | 72% |
| Fall 2016 cohort | 61% |
| Fall 2017 cohort | 52% |
| Fall 2018 cohort | 64% |
| Fall 2019 cohort | 49% |
| Fall 2020 cohort | 68% |
| Fall 2021 cohort | 49% |
| Fall 2022 cohort | 56% |
| Fall 2023 cohort | 56% |
More about Carolina University
37.3% of Carolina University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Carolina University as a primarily residential campus of 460 undergraduates — and 56.4% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.
Carolina University reported not considering test scores in Fall 2024, when its admission rate was 39.5%. Review Carolina University's current requirements before applying; use the GPA calculator for your semester numbers.
Why some charts are marked “key chart”
Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.
How Carolina University compares
State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.
Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.
Acceptance rate
Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS
Tuition
Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid
Median earnings (10 yr)
Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot
Carolina University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.
View comparison data & dates
| Metric & basis | Carolina University | North Carolina median | National median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS | 39.5% | 74.9% | 76.8% |
| TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid | $17,575 | $19,500 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot | $32,864 | $45,873 | $53,781 |
Frequently asked questions
What test-score data does Carolina University report?
Carolina University did not consider scores in Fall 2024: 39.5% admitted. Check current requirements.
What is Carolina University's acceptance rate?
39.5% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 291 admitted from 736 applicants.
How much does Carolina University cost?
At Carolina University, tuition is $17,575. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.
What earnings data does Carolina University report?
Median earnings ten years after entry: $32,864. Source and date limits.
Similar colleges in North Carolina
- Manna University — 52.7% admitted
- Carolinas College of Health Sciences — 59.9% admitted
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh — 41.7% admitted
- North Carolina A & T State University — 49.9% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Read the date and population definitions.