A new analysis ranks North Carolina as home to two of the most affordable colleges and universities in the country, including one in Fayetteville.
The tuition analysis from The College Investor, a personal finance and investing website, compared out-of-state tuition for a single academic year across hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities, according to the report . Fayetteville State University and Western Carolina University are recognized for their affordability, with annual out-of-state tuition costs of $6,262 and $8,532, respectively, the report said.
“Fayetteville State University is a NC Promise Institution which places our undergraduate tuition at $500 a semester for in-state students and $2,500 a semester for out-of-state students,” said Devon Smith, spokesperson for FSU. “While FSU was one of the most affordable options in the nation previously, our affordability is amplified with the generous support by the state legislature through NC Promise.”
NC Promise is a program established by the North Carolina General Assembly to make higher education more affordable for in-state and out-of-state students. Launched in 2018, the program aims to significantly reduce undergraduate tuition costs at select North Carolina universities, with state legislature approving a $51 million college affordability initiative the same year, according to a news release .