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Students walk in front of the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina on May 1, 2024 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The University of North Carolina was the first public university to accept and graduate students in the United States. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

UNC Board of Governors approves first in-state tuition increase in nearly a decade

Feb 26, 2026 | 11:40 AM

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has approved a systemwide in-state tuition hike for the first time in nine years.

Resident undergraduate tuition will rise by up to 3%, averaging about $125 per student, beginning in 2026-27. The increase applies only to new students. Current students will see no change. The systemwide average tuition will increase from $4,684 to $4,809.

“Low tuition is at the heart of our compact with the people of North Carolina,” said Peter Hans, president of the University of North Carolina System. “We’re focused on reducing administrative costs, keeping student debt down, and making sure every UNC degree delivers value for our graduates.”

Mandatory student fees, capped at 3% by state law, will increase by an average of 1%. Combined tuition and fees will average $7,644 next year across the 12 universities that are not NC Promise institutions.

In-state tuition had been frozen since 2017. During that time, the percentage of graduates with student loan debt fell from 62% to 48%, and borrowing declined 35% between 2018 and 2025.

“For so much of the UNC System’s history, the debate was not about if tuition would go up, but about how much it would go up,” said Wendy Murphy, chair of the UNC Board of Governors. “This Board, working with our president and our chancellors, changed that expectation. We created a new affordability baseline for North Carolinians, one that prioritizes families and their needs.”

Only one board member, Art Pope, voted against the increase.

“The $6 million increase for in-state students, that’s 0.1% of the total state appropriation tuition and fees as of 24-25, the most recent information we have. I think we can realize that $6 million in savings out of a total revenue of $5.7 billion,” Pope said.

Tuition at NC Promise schools — Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Western Carolina University — will remain $500 per semester. Students from families earning $80,000 or less qualify for at least $5,000 annually through the Next NC Scholarship, enough to fully cover tuition and fees at those campuses.