College tuition fees rose 2.9% in Wake County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Data shows that students paid $9,810 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $278 more than the previous school year.
Among the 12 institutions in the county, Meredith College stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $42,540. William Peace University followed with an average of $33,050 per year. Wake Technical Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $2,831.
At the time, a total of $72.5 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Wake County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $37.5 million.
Currently there are 12 higher education institutions in Wake County, including Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh, Miller-Motte College-Raleigh, and North Carolina State University at Raleigh.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinnett College | 48 | $172,799 | $3,600 | 44 | $309,714 | $7,039 |
| Saint Augustine’s University | 253 | $3,030,328 | $11,978 | 237 | $1,990,862 | $8,400 |
| William Peace University | 136 | $3,316,687 | $24,387 | 125 | $865,800 | $6,926 |
| MyComputerCareer at Raleigh | 879 | $5,818,216 | $6,619 | 1,013 | $12,674,245 | $12,512 |
| Meredith College | 332 | $10,655,648 | $32,095 | 186 | $1,417,884 | $7,623 |
| Shaw University | 188 | $2,926,788 | $15,568 | 101 | $586,902 | $5,811 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh | 20 | $122,900 | $6,145 | 26 | $183,666 | $7,064 |
| Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College | 21 | $130,616 | $6,220 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Miller-Motte College-Raleigh | 76 | $331,338 | $4,360 | 73 | $452,370 | $6,197 |
| Wake Technical Community College | 1,740 | $13,158,051 | $7,562 | 299 | $1,547,670 | $5,176 |
| Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary | 8 | $69,604 | $8,701 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 2,778 | $32,811,113 | $11,811 | 2,300 | $17,499,722 | $7,609 |
