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Most affordable community colleges in North Carolina

58 community colleges in North Carolina report net price data, ranging from $57 at the lowest to higher costs at more selective schools. The median net price across these is $7,125. North Carolina's community colleges run a bit higher than the national average for the kind. The list below shows the most affordable options, ranked by net price.

Median net price in North Carolina

$7,125

National median for community colleges

$6,359

community colleges reporting in North Carolina

58

The most affordable community colleges in North Carolina, ranked by net price

1

Cleveland Community College

NC

Net price

$57

Receive grant aid

100%

2

Central Carolina Community College

NC

Net price

$2,153

Receive grant aid

76%

3

Wilkes Community College

NC

Net price

$3,190

Receive grant aid

92%

4

Wayne Community College

NC

Net price

$3,597

Receive grant aid

73%

5

Fayetteville Technical Community College

NC

Net price

$3,616

Receive grant aid

78%

6

James Sprunt Community College

NC

Net price

$3,851

Receive grant aid

92%

7

Rockingham Community College

NC

Net price

$4,177

Receive grant aid

86%

8

Durham Technical Community College

NC

Net price

$4,181

Receive grant aid

66%

9

Martin Community College

NC

Net price

$4,188

Receive grant aid

87%

10

Haywood Community College

NC

Net price

$4,435

Receive grant aid

87%

11

Central Piedmont Community College

NC

Net price

$4,601

Receive grant aid

64%

12

Edgecombe Community College

NC

Net price

$4,927

Receive grant aid

87%

13

Stanly Community College

NC

Net price

$5,001

Receive grant aid

66%

14

Halifax Community College

NC

Net price

$5,002

Receive grant aid

84%

15

Sampson Community College

NC

Net price

$5,064

Receive grant aid

83%

16

Lenoir Community College

NC

Net price

$5,116

Receive grant aid

68%

17

Forsyth Technical Community College

NC

Net price

$5,147

Receive grant aid

68%

18

South Piedmont Community College

NC

Net price

$5,212

Receive grant aid

64%

19

Johnston Community College

NC

Net price

$5,282

Receive grant aid

64%

20

Vance-Granville Community College

NC

Net price

$5,324

Receive grant aid

79%

21

Tri-County Community College

NC

Net price

$5,423

Receive grant aid

76%

22

Craven Community College

NC

Net price

$5,425

Receive grant aid

69%

23

Robeson Community College

NC

Net price

$5,592

Receive grant aid

89%

24

College of the Albemarle

NC

Net price

$5,655

Receive grant aid

61%

25

Nash Community College

NC

Net price

$5,870

Receive grant aid

75%

What makes a school affordable here

In North Carolina, the most affordable community colleges share two things in common. First, low published net prices reflect both reasonable sticker prices and meaningful institutional or state aid. Second, a high share of students receive grant aid. At Cleveland Community College, the most affordable on this list, 100% of students receive grant aid. Net price reflects what a typical family actually pays, not the sticker price you see at first glance. A school with a $50,000 sticker price and a $10,000 net price is more affordable for most families than a school with a $20,000 sticker and a $19,000 net price.

Affordable colleges in North Carolina, other types

Affordable community colleges in other states

Find your personalized cost

National rankings use publicly available federal cost data. Plug in your actual aid offer and family situation for a Worth-It Score that reflects your specific picture.

Affordability rankings use publicly available federal higher-ed cost data. Net price reflects the average cost a family pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from total cost of attendance, for the 2022-23 reporting year. See full methodology →