Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublicHBCU

North Carolina Central University

Durham, North Carolina·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·nccu.edu
6-yr Graduation
42%
+3.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
8,579
peer median 6,182
Avg net price
$15,359
-$459 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsAlumni

About

North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from both Northern and Southern philanthropists. It was made part of the state system in 1923, when it first received state funding and was renamed as Durham State Normal School. It added graduate classes in arts and sciences and professional schools in law and library science in the late 1930s and 1940s.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
18,368
18,368 candidates competed
Admitted
15,972
87.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,753
11.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
42%+3.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
26%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
42%
Full-time retention
73%

Pell equity

8.2pp gap
Pell recipients
39%319 of 808
Non-Pell (all)
47%150 of 318
Subsidized loan, no Pell
50%72 of 144
No Federal Aid
45%78 of 174

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 98 Title IV programs, 33 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 65 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
98
Passing
33
33.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

98programs
  • Passing33 · 33.7%
  • No Data65 · 66.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
3
Safe
28
No data
65

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

33
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
+6.5%
$54,659 vs $51,310
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+8.7%
$59,513 vs $54,745
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences General
Master's Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+17.3%
$51,714 vs $44,091
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+19.8%
$65,600 vs $54,745
Psychology General
Master's Degree · Psychology
+24.6%
$57,573 vs $46,221
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+25.3%
$57,412 vs $45,831
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+28.1%
$57,082 vs $44,547
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+30.6%
$42,067 vs $32,203

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

31
Psychology General
Master's Degree · Psychology
141%
$80,962 debt · $57,573 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
136%
$80,624 debt · $59,513 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
125%
$103,965 debt · $83,361 earn
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences General
Master's Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
119%
$61,500 debt · $51,714 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
111%
$63,945 debt · $57,412 earn
Public Administration
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
102%
$66,634 debt · $65,374 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
98%
$73,200 debt · $74,724 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
94%
$51,128 debt · $54,659 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1938Next review Jun 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 8

Action history · 20

  1. Dec 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  2. Oct 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  3. Oct 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  4. Aug 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
  5. Apr 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$13,032
$30–48k$13,882
$48–75k$17,527
$75–110k$22,401
$110k+$23,658

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$15,359
-$459vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $15,818
Federal loans
62.9%
In-state tuition
$6,699
Out-of-state
$19,735

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 4,761 students received $30.9M in Pell grants, alongside $97.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,761
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$30.9M
$30,873,722 total
Direct Loans
$97.2M
12,721 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
’20
4k
’21
3k
’22
4k
’23
5k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$17.1M
4,410 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$17.2M
4,440 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$23.2M
1,357 loan awards
Parent PLUS$25.1M
1,621 loan awards
Grad PLUS$14.6M
893 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 2,464 borrowers who entered repayment, 103 (4.1%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
4.1%
+1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,464
Defaulted
103
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.3%
2017
6.9%
2018
8.2%
2019
4.1%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at North Carolina Central

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs55
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,341 total completions
01Business
17913.3%
02Health Professions
17212.8%
03Public Admin
16312.2%
04Social Sciences
14911.1%
05Education
14110.5%
06Legal Professions
13510.1%
07Security/Protective
1289.5%
08Psychology
1108.2%
09Biological Sciences
826.1%
10Parks/Recreation
826.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
8,579
12-mo unduplicated
9,786
Undergraduate
7,578
Graduate
2,208

Gender split

Men
29%2,826
Women
71%6,960

Race / ethnicity composition

Black
84.1%
Hispanic
5.7%
Two or more
3.9%
White
3.8%
Unknown
0.9%
Asian
0.8%
Non-resident
0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
282
180 M · 102 W
Women athletes
36.2%
Athletic aid
$5.0M
Total student aid
Budget
$15.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.0M
$1.9M
Recruiting expense
$42K
$33K
Head-coach salaries
$112K
$46K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Football
110 M · —
$4.9M
Track and Field (Indoor)
29 M · 31 W
$377K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
24 M · 24 W
$377K
Basketball
17 M · 16 W
$2.8M
Softball
— · 20 W
$517K
Volleyball
— · 19 W
$517K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
4.02
32 offenses · 7,965 students

3-year trend

6.292 yrs ago5.031 yr ago4.02Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
120
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
123
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
2
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
11
Fondling
7
Aggravated assault
7
Rape
5
Robbery
2

By location

32total
  • On campus27
  • Public property5

Includes 10 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

12
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
7
Stalking
19 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons130
Drugs2160
Liquor214

Residence-hall fires

  • Chidley North Residence Hall1 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
364

North Carolina Central vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions North Carolina Central selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectNorth Carolina Central University
42%—8,579$15,359Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Alabama State University
30%97.6%4,081$20,435Doctoral/Professional
Bowie State University
38%72.4%6,353$19,298Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Delaware State University
39%46.6%5,327$13,910Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Jackson State University
51%93.1%6,326$23,836R2 Research
Morgan State University
41%82.2%10,739$14,985R2 Research
New Jersey City University
34%98.4%5,429$16,053Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Norfolk State University
39%87.8%6,053$15,282Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Tennessee State University
35%70.1%6,310$15,796R2 Research
Virginia State University
39%88.6%5,605$15,840Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median39%87.8%6,182$15,818

Institutions like North Carolina Central

Explore the federal data for institutions in North Carolina Central's comparison group.

IPEDS

North Carolina Central Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
Phone
(919) 530-6100
Address
1801 Fayetteville St., Durham, NC 27707

The Office of Institutional Research and Analysis provides data and information about North Carolina Central University to support institutional decision-making and the achievement of our Strategic Plan through institutional research, assessment, and data and visual analytics.

Visit IR office page
Team
9 members
  • Tia Marie Doxey
    Interim Associate Provost & Chief Data Officer
  • Michael D Hadley
    Senior Business Intelligence Analyst
  • Kimberly Lassiter
    Administrative Support Associate
  • Larchin Leslie
    Academic Program Accreditation Coordinator
  • Becky J Mussat-Whitlow
    Director of Institutional Reporting and Data Analytics
  • Robert Patrikios
    Student Data Mart Business Analyst
  • Jim W Price
    Business Intelligence and Data Analyst
  • Sylvia C Seward
    Business And Technology Application Analyst
  • Jianping Yu
    Business & Technology Applications Technician

Common Data Set

North Carolina Central's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
87.0%
Accessible
Yield
11.0%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
8,579
1,984 UG · 345 grad
First-year retention
72%
Student–faculty ratio
16 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$15,560
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
18,368
Admitted
15,972
Enrolled
1,753

18,368 applied → 15,972 admitted (87.0%) → 1,753 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
87.0%

Accessible — 87.0% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men83.8%
women88.3%

Admit rate varies by gender.

High-school class rank

C10
Top tenth9%
Top quarter25%
Top half66%
Bottom half34%
Bottom quarter7%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$28,065
Tuition
$3,72813%
Fees
$2,97111%
Room & board
$13,45048%
Books
$1,5005%
Other
$6,41623%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $28,065 (2025-2026).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$28,065
Net (aided)
$15,560
Avg need grant
$12,505

Sticker $28,065 → about $15,560 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($12,505); 58% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Federal53.0%
Institutional: Endowed scholarships, annual gifts and tuition funded grants, awarded by the college, excluding athletic aid and tuition waivers20.9%
State all states, not only the state in which your institution is located18.1%
Scholarships/grants from external sources (e.g. Kiwanis, National Merit)7.9%

0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
84%
Avg debt
$28,262

84% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $28,262 on average.

03

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students204
10-19 students155
20-29 students320
30-39 students127
40-49 students33
50-99 students27
100+ students3

41% of classes have under 20 students; 3% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
16 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
60%
Women faculty
56%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Social sciences18.6%
Business/marketing13.6%
Homeland Security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services11.3%
Psychology10.2%
Biological/life sciences6.7%
Health professions and related programs6.3%
Education5.2%
Public administration and social services4.6%

STEM-dominant: ~9% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

04

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
Black or African American, non-Hispanic81.5%
Hispanic/Latino6.7%
White, non-Hispanic4.0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic4.0%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown2.0%
Asian, non-Hispanic1.1%
Nonresidents0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.3%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.0%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
25
Share
1%

1% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
1,98485%
Graduate
34515%

1,984 undergraduates and 345 graduate students.

05

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,674
Admitted
1,031
Enrolled
478

1,674 transfer applicants → 1,031 admitted (61.5%) → 478 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.

Source publications

Reports & documents (5)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of North Carolina Central (14)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Ernie Barnes
    Arts
  • G.K. Butterfield
    Politics
  • Dan Blue
    Politics
  • Julius L. Chambers
    Law
  • William Barber II
    Activism
  • Maynard Jackson
    Politics
  • Kim Coles
    Entertainment
  • Frank Ballance
    Politics
  • Barry Black
    Military
  • Julius Chambers
    Law
  • Lee Calhoun
    Athletics
  • Herman Boone
    Sports
Showing 1–12 of 14
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about North Carolina Central University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about North Carolina Central.

What is the graduation rate at North Carolina Central University?

North Carolina Central University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 42% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend North Carolina Central University?

North Carolina Central University reports a total enrollment of 8,579 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at North Carolina Central University?

The average net price at North Carolina Central University is $15,359 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at North Carolina Central University?

North Carolina Central University's yield rate is 11.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is North Carolina Central University located?

North Carolina Central University is located in Durham, North Carolina 27707.

Who runs Institutional Research at North Carolina Central University?

North Carolina Central University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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