University of North Carolina Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina · Public · 91.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 34/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
UNC Asheville earns a CampusROI score of 34 out of 100, landing in the Below Benchmark tier despite being a respected public liberal-arts university and the designated public-honors-college campus. The score reflects a structural mismatch between the school's mission and its labor-market outcomes: this is a small liberal-arts campus where most students major in fields with weak immediate earnings (English, Sociology, Visual Arts, Anthropology, Liberal Arts), and the federal earnings methodology penalizes that mix harshly. The earnings premium over high-school-only workers is 18.4%, the payback period is 20.9 years, and the 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio against $20,500 in median federal debt produces a sub-score of 32. Average earnings six years after entry are $30,000 and reach a median $44,030 by year ten. Cost is the redeeming variable: in-state tuition is just $7,501, average net price is $12,250, and four-year cost lands at $49,000. The 54.5% completion rate is decent and the school's STEM programs (Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, Accounting) post genuinely strong B-grade outcomes. The aggregate score reflects program-mix issues more than institutional weakness.
How University of North Carolina Asheville scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score34/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period20.9 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of North Carolina Asheville
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,501/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $24,849/yr |
| Average net price | $12,250/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $49,000 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,030 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $217 |
| Estimated payback period | 20.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 54.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,910 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $7,501/year ($24,849/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $12,250/year, or roughly $49,000 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $8,219/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,786/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,500, which works out to about $217 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,000) and comes to 0.68, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $8,219 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $8,735 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,570 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $15,854 |
| $110,001+ | $18,786 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $8,219 per year at UNCA. With NC Promise and Pell stacking, four-year cost lands near $32,900. For low-income students who choose engineering, accounting, computer science, or chemistry, the math works very well. For students drifting into liberal-arts tracks, the math tightens given $44,030 ten-year median earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket pays $11,570 per year and the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket pays $15,854. Four-year totals are $46,300 to $63,400. Middle-income NC families get a respectable in-state deal, particularly for STEM-bound students.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $18,786 per year, with four-year cost approaching $75,150. At this price tier, the value proposition narrows considerably for non-STEM majors.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of North Carolina Asheville with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $40,673 | D |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $46,518 | D |
| English Language and Literature | $33,714 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $56,479 | B |
| Biology | $47,302 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $42,743 | D |
| Public Health | $42,267 | D |
| History | $38,565 | C |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $23,504 | F |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $40,444 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Psychology
Psychology is the largest program with 80 graduates per cohort. Year-one earnings of $24,666 climb to $40,673 by year four. With $21,055 in median debt, the 0.85 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D ROI grade. This is the typical psychology-degree outcome: respectable wage premium over high school but limited by the absence of a graduate-school progression pathway. Most graduates needing strong earnings end up adding a master's or doctoral credential.
Natural Resources Conservation
Natural Resources Conservation graduates 59 students per cohort, an unusually large program for this niche. Year-one earnings of $25,758 climb to $46,518 by year four. With $22,880 in debt, the 0.89 ratio earns a D ROI grade. The program reflects UNCA's Appalachian setting and draws students into NPS, USFS, and conservation-NGO career tracks where pay is structurally modest but mission-aligned.
Engineering, General
Engineering graduates 21 students per cohort and posts the school's strongest financial outcome. Year-one earnings of $73,410 climb to $88,346 by year four. Median debt of $31,000 produces a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. This is a relatively new and growing program at UNCA, and the outcomes track engineering-degree benchmarks at much larger universities. Students choosing this track at UNCA's in-state price get exceptional value.
English Language and Literature
English graduates 48 students per cohort with year-one earnings of just $19,136 and four-year earnings of $33,714. Median debt of $23,752 produces a 1.24 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade, the worst high-volume program outcome on the page. This is a structural reality for English majors broadly, but the F-grade outcome should give UNCA students pause about borrowing at 23K levels for this credential without graduate-school plans.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business graduates 47 students with year-one earnings of $44,945 climbing to $56,479 by year four. Median debt of $17,492 produces a strong 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. This is the second-best major-level outcome at UNCA after engineering, and reflects the labor-market premium attached to business credentials in the Asheville and broader Carolinas market.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 65.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 63.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of North Carolina Asheville’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 91.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 570-660 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 600-700 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 23-29 |
| Enrollment | 2,910 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 32.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,155 |
UNC Asheville admits 91.9% of applicants. Reported SAT mid-ranges run 570 to 660 in math and 600 to 700 in reading; ACT composite is 23 to 29.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina Asheville (this school) | 34 | $12,250 | $44,030 |
| East Carolina University | 61 | $15,739 | $55,146 |
| Appalachian State University | 58 | $16,836 | $51,836 |
| SUNY College of Technology at Canton | 36 | $15,268 | $47,860 |
| Montana State University Billings | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus | 34 | $4,904 | $38,550 |
Who Thrives Here
UNC Asheville serves about 2,910 students with a 32.4% Pell rate. The fit case is genuine for academically curious in-state students seeking a small public liberal-arts experience in a vibrant Appalachian setting, particularly those targeting STEM or pre-professional tracks where the school's outcomes are strong.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of North Carolina Asheville scores 34/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,250 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,030 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 20.9 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 65.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
University of North Carolina Asheville: Common Questions
Is University of North Carolina Asheville worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of North Carolina Asheville scores 34/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,250 a year after aid against $44,030 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 20.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of North Carolina Asheville cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $12,250 a year, or roughly $49,000 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do University of North Carolina Asheville graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,030 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,230 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off University of North Carolina Asheville?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 20.9 years for University of North Carolina Asheville. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of North Carolina Asheville graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,500, against average earnings of $30,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at University of North Carolina Asheville?
The six-year graduation rate is 54.5%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.