The University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted today to increase resident undergraduate tuition for the first time in nine years. The increase was capped at 3% Systemwide, averaging $125 per student.
The change will bring the Systemwide tuition average from $4,684 to $4,809 in 2026-27. The change will apply only to new students. Current students will see no change in their tuition.
“Low tuition is at the heart of our compact with the people of North Carolina,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “We’re focused on reducing administrative costs, keeping student debt down, and making sure every UNC degree delivers value for our graduates.”
The board also voted to increase mandatory student fees, which are statutorily capped at 3%. Fees during the 2026-27 academic year will increase by an average of 1%.
Combined, annual tuition and fees will average $7,644 for the next academic year across 12 universities that are not designated at NC Promise schools.
Last year, the Board announced it would allow universities to propose tuition increases of up to 3% due to rising operating costs and inflationary pressure. The System had frozen in-state undergraduate tuition since 2017, a measure that led to a significant decrease in average student debt across the System.
In 2017, 62% of UNC System graduates held debt from student loans once they earned a degree and moved into the workforce. By 2025, that percentage had dropped to 48%. The System has also seen a significant decrease in the amount of money that students are borrowing to pay for college – a 35% drop between 2018 and 2025.
“For so much of the UNC System’s history, the debate was not about if tuition would go up, but about how much it would go up,” said UNC Board of Governors Chair Wendy Murphy. “This Board, working with our president and our chancellors, changed that expectation. We created a new affordability baseline for North Carolinians, one that prioritizes families and their needs.” In-state undergraduate tuition at NC Promise schools will remain unchanged at $500 per semester. Under the Next NC Scholarship, which is available to families making $80,000 or less, students receive at least $5,000 each year to attend a UNC System university. That’s enough to fully cover tuition and fees at NC Promise institutions: Elizabeth City State University; Fayetteville State University; University of North Carolina Pembroke; and Western Carolina University.