What Type of School It Is and Where It Is Located
North Carolina Central University is a public, four-year university located in Durham, North Carolina, within Durham County and the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you whether the campus is right downtown or on the outskirts, or how easy it is to get around there. If your child plans to live at home and drive to campus, make the trip yourself on a weekday at the time of your child's classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map shows.
Carnegie, the system that classifies universities in the United States according to what they do, lists it as a master's university with larger programs. In the 2019-20 data, it appeared as a medium-sized, highly residential four-year school: at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. In a more recent profile, from 2021, it appears among institutions that receive many transfer students, and separately, its graduate profile classifies it as awarding research doctorates. That profile is historical and does not tell you exactly which programs it offers today.
Living on campus, incidentally, is not the same as paying tuition. Room and board are charged separately, and we will get to that later.
IPEDS, the federal system through which universities report their data, confirms that it offers programs through the doctoral level, although that is a general institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in exists or whether it connects to graduate study. If your child intends to continue studying after earning a bachelor's degree, ask directly about that pathway.
One aspect of its identity is worth understanding clearly: in the 2023 federal file, North Carolina Central University is designated as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). Of the 3,012 institutions in this census, only 76 have that designation. This tells you where the school comes from and the mission under which it was founded. It does not tell you whom it admits today or how your child will fare there. Being an HBCU does not make it better or worse than another option; it is a designation of origin, not a verdict on your child's daily experience. What does matter is asking specifically: what student center exists, what scholarship applies, and who answers the phone in April when last-minute questions arise.
A Medium-Sized Community, With Few Latino Students
North Carolina Central University had 7,965 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is neither a small nor a huge school: it falls within the 5,000 to 9,999 range, one of the most common ranges among its peers. Of that total, 5,973 are undergraduates and 1,992 are graduate students. If your child is just beginning a bachelor's degree, the relevant number is 5,973, not the total: a substantial part of that larger figure consists of people who have already completed a degree and are continuing their studies.
Women are a clear majority among undergraduates, accounting for 70 out of every 100 students. Most first-time applicants, 75 out of every 100, already lived in North Carolina when they applied. And among every 100 undergraduate students, 15 are between the ages of 25 and 64, so this is not a campus where everyone is 18 or 19 years old.
Here is a fact that will matter differently to you as a Latino parent: among the undergraduate students reported in fall 2023, only 7 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. Compared with the 519 selective-admission, public four-year schools in this census, it ranks below the comparison-group midpoint on this measure. It is a small minority.
Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, just as having many would not automatically make it good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, it is worth asking during the visit what student group, cultural center, or person in the office speaks Spanish and can provide guidance. And remember that this number covers the entire school: the experience within a specific major may look different.
How the Academic Year Works and How Broad the Academic Offerings Are
The year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The university stated that it accepts credit for AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experiences—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, previous licenses or certifications, military or professional opportunities, including through examinations. It also reports accepting credit for military training and enrolling high school students in college courses for credit, both within and outside a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is an honest limitation worth keeping in mind: the university's statement that it accepts AP does not mean it will grant credit for every exam or score. We do not know what scores it requires or whether those credits apply to the major that interests your child. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for savings in time or money until you have it in hand.
As for what can be studied: in the latest year reported, the university awarded 971 bachelor's degrees across 20 fields of study. No field accounted for a large share: the most popular was social sciences, and even that represented only 16 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. The offerings are broad and distributed, not concentrated in two or three leading majors. Keep in mind that 20 fields with rows in the report do not mean 20 distinct majors or that every one had graduates. Always verify the exact program that interests your child.
Regarding class size, the university reports a ratio of 16 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. Compared with similar schools, it falls near the middle, neither among the lowest nor among the highest. This number does not tell you the actual size of a classroom; it is an institutional average, not a direct measure of a first-year class.
Lastly, the university reports structured opportunities such as study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only during evenings or weekends, and teacher-certification preparation pathways, including state approval for initial certification.
Getting In: It Is More Accessible Than You Might Think, but There Is Fine Print
Here is one of the most important facts for any family beginning this process: North Carolina Central University does not have open admission, so it reviews specific items before saying yes. Of the nine considerations evaluated by this report, it marked three as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other items are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, completion of the university's required college-preparatory coursework, and letters of recommendation.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English-proficiency exam applies and what qualifies for an exemption. It is one of those things people discover late, complicating their schedules.
The undergraduate application fee is $50.
Now for the fact that will probably surprise you most: in the 2023 cycle, the university admitted 12,842 of its 14,192 first-time applicants. That is 90 out of every 100. Compared with its 519 selective public peers in this census, it ranks on the high side: seven out of ten of those schools admitted an equal or smaller percentage. Even so, 1,350 applicants did not receive an offer of admission. This is one of the universities that does admit students, but that does not excuse your child from completing the entire application on time.
A likely admission does not make what follows easy. That 90% does not tell you how much it will cost, how many students complete their degrees, or whether the specific program that interests your child has its own additional screening process. Those three questions must be asked separately, and we will address them.
Here is a figure that deserves careful explanation because it sounds contradictory: out of every 100 students admitted in 2023, only 11 enrolled. The other 89 do not appear as enrolled at this institution during the reported period—the data do not say whether they went to another university or what they decided. Compared with its peers, this proportion is among the lowest: nine out of ten similar schools rank above it.
Put another way: out of every 9 young people who receive a yes from this school, roughly one ultimately enrolls. Do not read that as a mark against the university; the federal record does not explain why each person made that decision. What does matter is this: what other people decided does not tell you what the school will offer you. Wait for your letter showing the net price—what the year will actually cost you—before deciding whether this school stays on your list.
Regarding standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; otherwise, the application proceeds normally. In practice, almost no one submits them: only 1 out of every 100 enrolled students submitted SAT scores, a sample so small—fewer than 30 people—that the available ranges should not be read as a threshold or a guarantee.
Transfers: A Fact That Changes How You Read Graduation Rates
This is important and connects with something we will examine later. Among the class that entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 27 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing their degrees here. This is a common proportion among its peers, slightly above the middle of the table. At the same time, the university also receives a substantial number of transfer students: 473 students arrived in fall 2023 after previously attending another institution.
Keep this fact in mind when we get to graduation: a student who transfers is not counted as a graduate of this school, even if that student completes a degree elsewhere. The fact that many transfer does not mean they did poorly here; the report counts the movement, not each person's outcome.
The Price: Two Numbers That Are Not the Same
At North Carolina Central University, among 254 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and had EFC records showing family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,136. Among 105 students from the same population whose EFC family income was from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $17,688; among 30 students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, it was $23,621. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, comprising 254 students, and the average for the highest-income band, comprising 30 students, is $11,485. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $13,884.
$12,136 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grants or scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How Students Pay: Grants Are Common, and Loans Are Common
Out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students here, 88 received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. Compared with its peers, it falls within the quarter where grants and scholarships reach the most students. Among recipients, the average for the year was $10,800.
The Pell Grant—federal aid for students with demonstrated financial need—reached 62 out of every 100 students. Applying for this aid here is neither unusual nor limited to a small group: half of the group or more received it.
Now for the other side of the coin, and it is worth being direct here: in the 2022-23 school year, 63 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan. Compared with its 519 peers, it is among the schools with the largest shares of students taking on debt: at least nine out of ten similar schools had a lower proportion. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per borrower that year was $6,957. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the plan's four years, the total would be around $27,828, not including interest.
Financing with debt is common here, not the exception. Calculate the full amount before signing anything, and do it before the first signature, not at the end. In addition, that average covers only federal loans in the student's name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans signed by parents, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates, because calculating that would require adding several years, and that number is not in this report.
The university also reports a guaranteed tuition plan as a mechanism for managing payment.
Campus Life: Housing, ROTC, Athletics, and Available Support
North Carolina Central University has institution-controlled housing with a reported maximum capacity of 3,375 students. Not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there, although that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies with the selected plan. The existence of this option does not guarantee a space: request the year's rate, the application deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list in writing.
If your child is interested in ROTC, the university reports opportunities in two branches: Army and Air Force. Navy is not marked. Its inclusion in the report does not mean the program is necessarily taught on this campus or that a space is guaranteed—ask directly by name before building a plan around it.
In athletics, the university competes in the NCAA and reports membership for football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the institution, not to your child: if your child is interested in playing, contact the coach for that sport directly and ask about roster availability, division, and whether an athletic scholarship is available.
Regarding distance education, the university offers it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 16 took their entire course load online, while 84 took at least one in-person class. It also reports having at least one complete program that can be finished entirely through distance education, although you should confirm whether that applies to the specific level and major that interest your child.
The library has employed staff, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary loan—its annual spending exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government. Reported support services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, a point of contact for veterans and military service members, a veterans' student organization, and services for people with disabilities.
They Stay, Transfer, and Graduate: What the Final Numbers Say
We have reached the part that almost always matters most to a family: how many finish?
Let us begin with retention, which measures something more modest: how many of those who entered are still enrolled or have already graduated one year later. Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022, 75 out of every 100 met that criterion. Compared with its peers, it ranks slightly below the comparison-group midpoint. This number does not distinguish how many are still studying from how many have already graduated, and it also does not mean that the rest left higher education entirely: someone who transferred to another university and remains enrolled there is counted the same as someone who stopped studying altogether.
Now for actual graduation, which is what really matters to a family budget. Among the students who entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 46 out of every 100 had earned a degree from this school within six years. Within four years—the timeframe most families budget for—the figure is only 27 out of every 100. The difference between the fourth and sixth years is 19 points. Compared with its peers, this university ranks below the comparison-group midpoint on the six-year measure.
Put plainly: after six years, it is almost an even split between those who hold a bachelor's degree from this school and those who do not. The report does not explain the reasons for each case, and remember what we saw earlier about transfers: someone who moved to another school and completed a degree there is not counted as a graduate here, even though that person finished. Before deciding, ask directly what specific support the university offers to help students finish on time and how the total cost changes if your child's degree takes more than four years.
There is a third measure, at eight years, that broadens the view to a different cohort—students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, attending full time or part time, with or without previous college experience. Of that cohort, 54 out of every 100 held a degree or certificate from this school as of the August 2023 reporting date—notably, the same figure among those who had a Pell Grant. Compared with its peers, it also ranks below the comparison-group midpoint. The report further indicates that 20 out of every 100 had an unknown enrollment status as of that date: this does not mean they stopped studying, only that the system was unable to determine where they were.
Putting All of This Together With Your Plan
You now know in detail one important piece of the decision: what North Carolina Central University is, how accessible admission is, what it costs under its different price measures, how students pay in practice, and what its persistence and graduation numbers show.
This piece does not replace the other two needed to build a complete plan: what your child truly wants to study and has accomplished so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. If you live outside North Carolina, the difference of more than $13,000 per year between rates changes the calculation. If your child is still unsure what to study, it is worth exploring this university's broad, distributed offerings before making a commitment. And if four years is a hard limit for the family budget, the figure of 27 out of every 100 graduating within that time deserves an honest conversation, not as a condemnation, but as something that must be planned for carefully.
None of this tells you whether this is the right university for your child. It gives you what you need to frame that question using real information rather than assumptions. With that in hand, you can decide on the next step: request the financial aid letter, visit the campus, or contact a department directly with the questions that remain open here.
Note on sources: the information in this article comes from official reports from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent North Carolina Central University or the United States government; this article organizes and explains public data to help you understand it.