Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina · Also known as Appalachian State University · Website
$51,836
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$51,836
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Appalachian State University is a public 4-year college in Boone, North Carolina with 19,444 undergraduates and 2,010 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $16,836 a year (tuition and fees $7,579 in-state, $25,212 out-of-state). It admits 90% of applicants and 75% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $51,836 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $20,231 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$16,836
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$7,579
Out-of-state $25,212
Admission rate
90%
US median 78%
Completion rate
75%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$20,231
About $214 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$51,836
Rank 1,332 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $16,836
- Tuition in-state
- $7,579
- Tuition out-of-state
- $25,212
- Cost of attendance
- $23,169
- Students with a need-based grant
- 26%
- Students with federal loans
- 37%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $9,325
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,600
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,204
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $20,840
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $22,382
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $6,852 in 2015-16 to $7,579 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 90%
- Average SAT
- 1,214
- SAT reading, middle
- 610
- SAT math, middle
- 605
- ACT, middle
- 27
- Undergraduates
- 19,444
- Graduate students
- 2,010
- Part-time students
- 6.9%
- Women
- 55%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 75%
- Retention rate
- 84%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 152
- Endowment
- $217.2M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,332 of 5,094 US colleges and 19 of 147 in North Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $16,836 | $14,086 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $7,579 | $6,906 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 90% | 75% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 75% | 48% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 84% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $20,231 | $20,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,663 | $31,569 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $51,836 | $36,048 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 72% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 74% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
152 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 317 | $20,294 | $27,484 | $47,720 | $50,706 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 255 | $20,354 | $24,829 | $55,594 | $54,562 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 251 | $18,750 | $44,126 | $64,932 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 250 | $20,500 | $41,144 | $46,057 | $47,382 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 204 | $18,864 | $42,999 | $69,439 | $69,303 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 165 | $20,500 | $29,946 | $53,228 | $57,214 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 143 | $18,066 | $35,796 | $55,474 | $55,378 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 131 | $21,435 | $34,722 | $53,543 | $51,490 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 111 | $18,836 | $36,559 | $55,671 | $63,560 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 111 | $19,580 | $48,683 | $62,704 | $71,685 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 111 | $21,729 | $41,018 | $48,255 | $51,389 |
| Construction ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 105 | $18,750 | $59,809 | $80,257 | $95,124 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 104 | $20,500 | $27,631 | $46,207 | $55,012 |
| Social WorkOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 103 | $20,750 | $32,725 | $51,012 | $51,790 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 100 | $12,500 | $69,420 | $78,943 | $88,910 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 98 | $19,229 | $30,096 | $54,344 | $63,293 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $20,500 | $52,004 | $75,396 | $83,343 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | $22,500 | $68,675 | $97,670 | $107,009 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 84 | $20,667 | $56,650 | $87,041 | $83,290 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 81 | $19,500 | $29,646 | $41,052 | $50,468 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 79 | $27,533 | $72,310 | $94,138 | $103,485 |
| Public HealthOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 76 | $19,000 | $34,148 | $49,039 | $58,808 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 73 | $17,750 | $12,383 | $53,125 | $58,928 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $20,499 | $23,397 | $45,954 | $48,590 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 70 | $19,590 | $55,671 | $85,580 | $76,194 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: North Carolina on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in North Carolina
- Homes: Homes for sale in North Carolina
Questions and answers
How much does Appalachian State University cost?
$16,836 a year is the average net price at Appalachian State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $7,579 for in-state students and $25,212 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $23,169. Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,325 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Appalachian State University?
90% of applicants are admitted to Appalachian State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,214 and the middle ACT score is 27. The median admission rate of colleges in North Carolina is 75%.
How much do Appalachian State University graduates earn?
$51,836 a year is the median pay of former Appalachian State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,663 after 6 years). That ranks 1,332 of 5,094 US colleges and 19 of 147 in North Carolina. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral) at $90,331.
How much student debt do Appalachian State University graduates have?
$20,231 is the median federal student loan debt of Appalachian State University graduates, about $214 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 37% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Appalachian State University?
75% of first-time, full-time students at Appalachian State University finish within 6 years. 84% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Appalachian State University?
Psychology, General (317 bachelor's graduates), Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness (255 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (251 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 152 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.