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North Carolina Wesleyan University: 1960s Aerial shot before Library was built
Photo: Slmann3, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional college

North Carolina Wesleyan University

Rocky Mount, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid About $17,000 a year

Median debt at graduation: $25,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.42%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.59%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$5,633

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 paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $49,974 a year.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000About $16,000
$30,001–$48,000About $14,000
$48,001–$75,000About $16,000
$75,001–$110,000About $20,000
Over $110,000About $22,000

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.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
1,212
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 47% · Women 53%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
47%
Total students1,345
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
About $17,000
Cost of attendance (per year)$49,974
Median federal debt at graduation$25,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
42%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
48%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
48%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
37%
First-year retention59%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$45,873
Admission rate80%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $918 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants50%

Value: Good (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).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computing and information science$53,598
Accounting$53,327
Business administration$50,983
Teacher education$50,733
Marketing$49,827
Criminal justice$43,805
Psychology$41,976
Religious studies$38,717

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs, Biological and physical sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Communication studies, English, Entrepreneurship, Health administration, History, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Natural resources and conservation, Nursing, Political science, Pre-health, Public health, Sociology, Special education, Theatre.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business37%
Criminal justice and security15%
Health professions11%
Psychology9%
Computer and information sciences8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates15%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older32%
On-campus room and board (per year)$13,348
SportsNCAA Division III · USA South Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member13 to 1
Faculty who are full-time41%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$10,484IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 68% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceRaleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)About 58 miles away · about 1 hour 25 minutes by car
Town population54,297Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreRaleighAbout 50 miles away · about 1 hour 10 minutes by car
Typical weather41°F in January · 79°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Rocky Mt 8 Ese, NC, about 10 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Questions families ask

What is North Carolina Wesleyan University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). 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 North Carolina Wesleyan University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is about $17,000 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 North Carolina Wesleyan University?
North Carolina Wesleyan University admitted 80% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do North Carolina Wesleyan University’s graduates do?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $45,873; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 199209
  • Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (diverse fields)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): United Methodist
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

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