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Cheapest community colleges in North Carolina

Community colleges in North Carolina ranked by published in-state tuition, lowest first. Published tuition is the sticker price; the price you actually pay is typically much lower after federal Pell grants and state aid. Use this list as a starting point, then file the FAFSA to see your real cost.

  1. Vance-Granville Community CollegeHenderson, NC$1,944
  2. Rockingham Community CollegeWentworth, NC$1,966
  3. Durham Technical Community CollegeDurham, NC$1,986
  4. Craven Community CollegeNew Bern, NC$2,022
  5. South Piedmont Community CollegePolkton, NC$2,022
  6. McDowell Technical Community CollegeMarion, NC$2,032
  7. Sandhills Community CollegePinehurst, NC$2,040
  8. College of the AlbemarleElizabeth City, NC$2,242
  9. Forsyth Technical Community CollegeWinston-Salem, NC$2,276
  10. Guilford Technical Community CollegeJamestown, NC$2,320
  11. Catawba Valley Community CollegeHickory, NC$2,427
  12. Coastal Carolina Community CollegeJacksonville, NC$2,512
  13. Caldwell Community College and Technical InstituteHudson, NC$2,526
  14. Brunswick Community CollegeBolivia, NC$2,553
  15. Piedmont Community CollegeRoxboro, NC$2,556
  16. Wilson Community CollegeWilson, NC$2,572
  17. Haywood Community CollegeClyde, NC$2,580
  18. Pitt Community CollegeWinterville, NC$2,580
  19. Robeson Community CollegeLumberton, NC$2,581
  20. Southeastern Community CollegeWhiteville, NC$2,600
  21. Cleveland Community CollegeShelby, NC$2,602
  22. Halifax Community CollegeWeldon, NC$2,608
  23. Bladen Community CollegeDublin, NC$2,618
  24. Mayland Community CollegeSpruce Pine, NC$2,626
  25. Tri-County Community CollegeMurphy, NC$2,636
  26. Roanoke-Chowan Community CollegeAhoskie, NC$2,642
  27. Western Piedmont Community CollegeMorganton, NC$2,650
  28. Central Carolina Community CollegeSanford, NC$2,711
  29. Cape Fear Community CollegeWilmington, NC$2,748
  30. Sampson Community CollegeClinton, NC$2,877
  31. Cabarrus College of Health SciencesConcord, NC$16,550
  32. Galen Health Institutes-AshevilleAsheville, NC$17,048
  33. South University-High PointHigh Point, NC$18,145
  34. Carolinas College of Health SciencesCharlotte, NC$18,882
  35. Louisburg CollegeLouisburg, NC$24,120
  36. Johnson & Wales University-CharlotteCharlotte, NC$42,419

Reading the list

The figures above are the published in-state tuition rates each North Carolina community college reports to the U.S. Department of Education. These are the rates posted to the institution's tuition schedule before any aid is applied. For most North Carolina community-college students, federal Pell grants alone cover a substantial share of tuition, and state aid programs in North Carolina often cover the remainder for residents who qualify. Out-of-state tuition is typically higher; check the individual college profile for both rates.

Tuition alone is not the right comparison for a complete cost picture. The College Scorecard also reports total annual cost of attendance — tuition plus required fees, books, room and board (if applicable), and other expenses — which is the more meaningful number when you are budgeting for a year of school. Each college's full profile lists cost of attendance alongside tuition. For students who can live at home and avoid room-and-board costs, the gap between tuition and cost of attendance shrinks substantially.

If your goal is the lowest possible total cost, the cheapest tuition isn't always the right pick. A slightly more expensive program with a higher transfer rate or stronger articulation agreement with a four-year university may produce a lower total degree cost overall, because lost credit on transfer can erase the savings of a low community-college tuition.