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Appalachian State University: cost, admission and results

Appalachian State University is a public college in Boone, North Carolina. It has about 19,444 undergraduate students. It admits 90% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $16,082 a year.

At a glance

  • 90%Admission rate
  • $16,082Net price a year
  • 71%Graduation rate
  • $57,488Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Boone, North Carolina 28608
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Town some way from a city
Undergraduate students
19,444
Graduate students
2,010
Students per teacher
16 to 1
Accredited by
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Website
appstate.edu

Getting in

Appalachian State University admits 90% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1214 out of 1600 (midpoints: 610 in reading and writing, 605 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 27 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from North Carolina$7,642
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$25,932
Room and meals on campus$12,985
Books and supplies$800
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$24,140
Average net price after grants and scholarships$16,082

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 3% below the median net price of colleges in North Carolina on this site ($16,597). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$11,070
$30,001 to $48,000$10,994
$48,001 to $75,000$12,977
$75,001 to $110,000$19,354
Above $110,000$22,753

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeNC medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year84%72%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)71%45%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$57,488$46,097$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$19,500$21,590$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in North Carolina and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

31% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 38% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 55% women and 45% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 5 of the 95 colleges in North Carolina on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,276.

Other colleges in North Carolina of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Appalachian State University?

Appalachian State University admits 90% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Appalachian State University?

Published tuition and fees are $7,642 a year for students from North Carolina and $25,932 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Appalachian State University?

71% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

All colleges in North Carolina How to read these figures