National university
#6 Best colleges for social work in North CarolinaEast Carolina University
Greenville, NC · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $15,739 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,750 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
ECU Campus Tour · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#79 of 690
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#220 of 1,046
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#152 of 682
In North Carolina
- Best colleges for criminal justice in North Carolina#7 of 39
- Best colleges for business in North Carolina#11 of 49
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in North Carolina#4 of 16
- Best colleges for social work in North Carolina#6 of 24
- Best colleges for psychology in North Carolina#13 of 51
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in North Carolina#11 of 42
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.63%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,180 · ACT 23.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$14,141
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $23,867 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 21,328 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 43% · Women 57% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 26% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 17% |
| Total students | 26,785 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $15,739 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $23,867 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,750 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 63% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 63% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 62% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 63% |
| First-year retention | 83% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $55,146 |
| Admission rate | 89% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $75 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $896 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 32% |
| Average SAT | 1180 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–630 |
| SAT math | 530–610 |
| ACT composite | 21–26 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 31% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Other engineering/engineering-related technologies/technicians | |
| Engineering (general) | |
| Nursing | |
| Industrial technology | |
| Accounting | |
| Management information systems | |
| Finance | |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | |
| Marketing | |
| Business operations | |
| Chemistry | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Health administration | |
| Business administration | |
| Economics | |
| Biology | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Political science | |
| Public health | |
| Communication studies | |
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Design | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Social work | |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Psychology | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Secondary education | |
| Rehabilitation and therapy | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Special education | |
| Teacher education | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | |
| Allied health | |
| Family and human development | |
| Fine arts | |
| Sociology | |
| History | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| English | |
| Linguistics | |
| Dance | |
| Theatre | |
| Anthropology | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Biochemistry, City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning, Clinical laboratory science, Computer engineering, Drafting and design, Engineering-Related Fields, Ethnic and gender studies, General studies, Geography, Geology and earth science, German, Global studies, Information science, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Romance languages, Teaching English as a second language.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Engineering technologies | |
| Biology | |
| Education |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 15% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 16% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,541 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · American Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 17 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 11%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 77%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $12,298IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 26% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN)About 41 miles away · about 1 hour 5 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)About 82 miles away |
| Town population | 92,857Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | RaleighAbout 73 miles away · about 1 hour 35 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 43°F in January · 81°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Greenville, NC, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.19 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.09 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.09 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.22 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is East Carolina University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 34% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does East Carolina University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $15,739 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into East Carolina University?
- East Carolina University admitted 89% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do East Carolina University’s graduates do?
- 63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $55,146; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,750.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 198464
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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