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Is Carolina University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Carolina, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Carolina lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $20,828 in yearly net price and $20,287 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $32,864. For context, Carolina's net price is about 16% below the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$19,111
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $3,726 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $15,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$20,828
Median earnings 10 years out
$32,864
Median debt at graduation
$20,287
Graduation rate
24%
At Carolina, a typical graduate carries about $20,287 in student debt and earns roughly $32,864 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $231 per month, or 8% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
What this means for your family
Carolina is a private nonprofit four year school in Winston-Salem, NC. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Johnson C Smith
Charlotte, NC
Worth-It Score: 38/100
Median net price: $20,894
Private nonprofit 4-year
Wingate
Wingate, NC
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $20,748
Private nonprofit 4-year
Lenoir-Rhyne
Hickory, NC
Worth-It Score: 47/100
Median net price: $20,689
Private nonprofit 4-year
Warren Wilson
Swannanoa, NC
Worth-It Score: 31/100
Median net price: $21,249
Private nonprofit 4-year
William Peace
Raleigh, NC
Worth-It Score: 45/100
Median net price: $21,649
Common questions about Carolina
The median net price at Carolina is $20,828 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in North Carolina? See the most affordable private colleges in North Carolina →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →