North Carolina Wesleyan University: Enrollment, Tuition and Outcomes Data

About

North Carolina Wesleyan University (NCWU) is a private Methodist university in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, United States. It was founded in 1956. North Carolina Wesleyan offers courses at its main Rocky Mount campus, as well as satellite advising office locations in Brunswick, Durham, Goldsboro, Greenville, Manteo, New Bern, Raleigh, Washington, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS

Applied

1,856

1,856 candidates competed

Admitted

1,489

80.2% acceptance rate

Enrolled

261

17.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS

Overall completion

42%-6.5pp vs Baccalaureate

Overall completion

42%-6.5pp vs Baccalaureate

4-year graduation

29%

4-year graduation

29%

6-year graduation (bachelor’s)

42%

6-year graduation (bachelor’s)

42%

Full-time retention

59%

Full-time retention

59%

Pell equity

11.8pp gap

Pell recipients

37%83 of 224

Non-Pell (all)

49%79 of 162

Subsidized loan, no Pell

51%40 of 79

No Federal Aid

47%39 of 83

Non-Pell students graduate at a 11.8-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 57 Title IV programs, 9 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 48 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs

57

Passing

9

15.8% of portfolio

Failing (GE)

0

0.0% of portfolio

Fail rate

0.0%

-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

57programs

Passing9 · 15.8%
No Data48 · 84.2%
Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical

0

Severe

0

Recoverable

0

At Risk

0

Watch

2

Safe

7

No data

48

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.

9

Program

Typical

Benchmark

EP gap

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services

$59,779

$51,310

National Same-Field BA Median

+16.5%

+$8,469

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services

+16.5%

$59,779 vs $51,310

Religion/Religious Studies

Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies

$38,717

$32,203

Same-State HS Median

+20.2%

+$6,514

Religion/Religious Studies

Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies

+20.2%

$38,717 vs $32,203

Psychology General

Bachelor Degree · Psychology

$41,976

$32,203

Same-State HS Median

+30.3%

+$9,773

Psychology General

Bachelor Degree · Psychology

+30.3%

$41,976 vs $32,203

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services

$43,805

$32,203

Same-State HS Median

+36.0%

+$11,602

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services

+36.0%

$43,805 vs $32,203

Marketing

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

$49,827

$32,203

Same-State HS Median

+54.7%

+$17,624

Marketing

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

+54.7%

$49,827 vs $32,203

Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods

Bachelor Degree · Education

$50,733

$32,203

Same-State HS Median

+57.5%

+$18,530

Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods

Bachelor Degree · Education

+57.5%

$50,733 vs $32,203

Business Administration Management and Operations

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

$50,983

$32,203

Same-State HS Median

+58.3%

+$18,780

Business Administration Management and Operations

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

+58.3%

$50,983 vs $32,203

Accounting and Related Services

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

$53,327

$32,203

Same-State HS Median

+65.6%

+$21,124

Accounting and Related Services

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

+65.6%

$53,327 vs $32,203

Debt vs earnings

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

8

Program

Median debt

Median earnings

Debt burden

Religion/Religious Studies

Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies

$28,675

$38,717

74%

Religion/Religious Studies

Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies

74%

$28,675 debt · $38,717 earn

Psychology General

Bachelor Degree · Psychology

$26,340

$41,976

63%

Psychology General

Bachelor Degree · Psychology

63%

$26,340 debt · $41,976 earn

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services

$22,436

$43,805

51%

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services

51%

$22,436 debt · $43,805 earn

Business Administration Management and Operations

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

$21,644

$50,983

43%

Business Administration Management and Operations

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

43%

$21,644 debt · $50,983 earn

Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods

Bachelor Degree · Education

$21,300

$50,733

42%

Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods

Bachelor Degree · Education

42%

$21,300 debt · $50,733 earn

Marketing

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

$19,631

$49,827

39%

Marketing

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

39%

$19,631 debt · $49,827 earn

Computer and Information Sciences General

Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services

$19,325

$53,598

36%

Computer and Information Sciences General

Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services

36%

$19,325 debt · $53,598 earn

Accounting and Related Services

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

$18,250

$53,327

34%

Accounting and Related Services

Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

34%

$18,250 debt · $53,327 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 1966Next review Dec 2030

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 8

Jun 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Oct 2023Renewal of Accreditation
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
Jun 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Dec 2021Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning Removed
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Dec 2021Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning Removed
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$16,114

$0–30k

$16,114

$30–48k$14,020

$30–48k

$14,020

$48–75k$16,017

$48–75k

$16,017

$75–110k$20,403

$75–110k

$20,403

$110k+$22,379

$110k+

$22,379

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

Avg net price (private)

$17,432

-$4,155vs Baccalaureate median $21,588

Federal loans

63.9%

In-state tuition

$35,736

Out-of-state

$35,736

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, 799 students received $4.7M in Pell grants, alongside $10.5M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients

799

AY 2024–25

Pell disbursed

$4.7M

$4,715,096 total

Direct Loans

$10.5M

2,013 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k

’20

1k

’21

1k

’22

1k

’23

1k

’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.0M

803 loan awards

Unsubsidized · UG$3.8M

878 loan awards

Unsubsidized · Grad$2.1M

146 loan awards

Parent PLUS$1.7M

180 loan awards

Grad PLUS$58K

6 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 826 borrowers who entered repayment, 27 (3.2%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate

3.2%

+0.9pp vs 2.3% national

Borrowers in repayment

826

Defaulted

27

Measurement window

3 years

Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016

14.1%+4.8

2017

11.0%+1.8

2018

11.2%+4.2

2019

3.2%+0.9

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 Wesleyan

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS

Distinct CIP programs32

UndergraduateOffered

GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

467 total completions

01Business

25053.5%

01Business

25053.5%

02Security/Protective

4710.1%

02Security/Protective

4710.1%

03Health Professions

4710.1%

03Health Professions

4710.1%

04Psychology

337.1%

04Psychology

337.1%

05Computer Sciences

326.9%

05Computer Sciences

326.9%

06Parks/Recreation

255.4%

06Parks/Recreation

255.4%

07Biological Sciences

112.4%

07Biological Sciences

112.4%

08Liberal Arts

81.7%

08Liberal Arts

81.7%

09Communication

81.7%

09Communication

81.7%

10Mathematics

61.3%

10Mathematics

61.3%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS

Fall total

1,419

12-mo unduplicated

1,744

Undergraduate

1,464

Graduate

280

Gender split

Men

44%770

Women

56%974

Race / ethnicity composition

Black

36.2%

Unknown

20.6%

White

20.4%

Non-resident

14.2%

Two or more

4.1%

Hispanic

3.0%

American Indian / Alaska Native

0.8%

Asian

0.5%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander

0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA

Athletes

416

304 M · 112 W

Women athletes

26.9%

Athletic aid

$0

Total student aid

Budget

$3.0M

Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid

$0

Recruiting expense

$31K

$17K

Head-coach salaries

$54K

$41K

Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Sport

Men

Women

Expenses

Football

145

—

$493,645

Football

145 M · —

$494K

Soccer

56

27

$264,679

Soccer

56 M · 27 W

$265K

Baseball

45

—

$211,569

Baseball

45 M · —

$212K

Basketball

18

15

$349,589

Basketball

18 M · 15 W

$350K

Tennis

24

8

$121,237

Tennis

24 M · 8 W

$121K

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)

11

17

$99,460

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)

11 M · 17 W

$99K

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

1.49

2 offenses · 1,345 students

3-year trend

3.272 yrs ago11.971 yr ago1.49Latest

Offenses · 3-yr

23

Last three years

VAWA · 3-yr

17

DV, dating, stalking

Hate crimes · 3-yr

0

Res-hall fires · 3-yr

0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape

1

Burglary

1

By location

2total

On campus2

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0

Domestic violence

1

Dating violence

3

Stalking

4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals

Weapons00

Drugs16

Liquor05

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS

Student-to-faculty

13.0:1

Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)

57

North Carolina Wesleyan vs Peer comparison

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

IPEDS

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 Wesleyan University	42%	—	1,419	$17,432	Baccalaureate
Averett University	48%	56.6%	1,476	$22,925	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Barton College	46%	94.2%	1,235	$23,626	Baccalaureate
Beloit College	71%	63.0%	1,004	$21,526	Baccalaureate
Bethel University	52%	97.7%	1,167	$18,610	Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Brevard College	49%	42.2%	875	$23,509	Baccalaureate
Centenary University	55%	83.1%	1,398	$20,503	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences	51%	56.9%	1,041	$22,766	Baccalaureate
Chowan University	30%	68.8%	675	$14,086	Baccalaureate
College of Our Lady of the Elms	68%	85.3%	1,268	$17,545	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Greensboro College	46%	70.1%	967	$17,882	Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Livingstone College	28%	59.2%	936	$13,479	Baccalaureate
Manchester University	46%	71.1%	1,276	$18,805	Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Mount St. Mary's University	65%	73.8%	2,408	$22,655	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Northwest University	68%	83.2%	1,053	$22,288	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Otterbein University	68%	84.5%	2,332	$19,237	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Presbyterian College	49%	68.4%	1,095	$20,528	Baccalaureate
Reinhardt University	44%	61.5%	1,233	$24,425	Baccalaureate
Saint Augustine's University	25%	33.8%	175	$24,313	Baccalaureate
Saint Elizabeth University	51%	71.0%	871	$23,125	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Southwestern College	36%	75.6%	1,041	$29,824	Baccalaureate
St. Andrews University	27%	64.8%	676	$32,513	Baccalaureate
Trinity Christian College	58%	84.9%	854	$19,125	Baccalaureate
University of Saint Mary	48%	86.6%	1,462	$22,519	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Ursuline College	67%	74.9%	970	$16,164	Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
William Peace University	45%	94.3%	722	$21,649	Baccalaureate
Peer group median	49%	71.1%	1,047	$21,588

Institutions like North Carolina Wesleyan

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

IPEDS

North Carolina Wesleyan Institutional Research office

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

Office

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Email

jkelly [at] ncwu.edu

Phone

252-985-5261

Address

3400 N Wesleyan Blvd, Rocky Mount, NC 27804

NCWU provides information and data to university administration and Board of Trustees that help them steer and guide NC Wesleyan University. The office of Institutional Effectiveness provides support for our accreditation and assessment processes.

Visit IR office page

Team

2 members

Jarrod T. Kelly, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness & Accreditation
Scott Marsigli
Institutional Research Analyst

Reports & documents (1)

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

DFR report
IPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024
nces.ed.gov

Grants & funding (2)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Notable alumni of North Carolina Wesleyan (6)

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

Natalie Edwards
Jordan Grantz
Marc Harris
Damariscotta Helm
Reid Lyon
Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe

Frequently asked questions about North Carolina Wesleyan University

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

What is the graduation rate at North Carolina Wesleyan University?

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

How many students attend North Carolina Wesleyan University?

North Carolina Wesleyan University reports a total enrollment of 1,419 students per the latest IPEDS.

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

The average net price at North Carolina Wesleyan University is $17,432 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at North Carolina Wesleyan University?

North Carolina Wesleyan University's yield rate is 17.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is North Carolina Wesleyan University located?

North Carolina Wesleyan University is located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804.

Who runs Institutional Research at North Carolina Wesleyan University?

North Carolina Wesleyan University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

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 →

North Carolina Wesleyan University

Pell equity

Pass / fail distribution

Severity spectrum

Earnings premium gap

Debt vs earnings

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 8

Net price by family income

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Default rate vs national, by cohort

Top program families by completions

Gender split

Race / ethnicity composition

Men vs women · spending splits

Sport-by-sport · 10

3-year trend

Criminal offenses by type

By location

VAWA offenses

Hate crimes by bias

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

Residence-hall fires

Averett University

Barton College

Beloit College

Bethel University

Brevard College

Centenary University

Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Chowan University

College of Our Lady of the Elms

Greensboro College

Livingstone College

Manchester University

Mount St. Mary's University

Northwest University

Otterbein University

Presbyterian College

Reinhardt University

Saint Augustine's University

Saint Elizabeth University

Southwestern College

St. Andrews University

Trinity Christian College

University of Saint Mary

Ursuline College

William Peace University

What is the graduation rate at North Carolina Wesleyan University?

How many students attend North Carolina Wesleyan University?

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

What is the yield rate at North Carolina Wesleyan University?

Where is North Carolina Wesleyan University located?

Who runs Institutional Research at North Carolina Wesleyan University?

Have a question this page can’t answer?