NC State Eyes 3% In-State Tuition Hike to 2027
If approved, incoming in-state undergraduates entering in fall 2027 would pay 3% more, while current students keep locked rates.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Financial Aid
Live Poll
Do you think public college tuition should keep rising each year?
NC State's Board of Trustees will consider a 3% tuition increase for incoming in-state undergraduates entering in fall 2027, when the board meets Thursday and Friday. The UNC System Board of Governors has allowed system schools to raise in-state undergraduate tuition by up to 3%.
Why it matters
The request would apply to new in-state undergraduates, while students who started in fall 2026 have locked tuition. NC State says the added revenue would improve the quality and accessibility of its educational experience and fund faculty promotional increases.
NC State is also seeking a 3% increase for nonresident undergraduates and higher student fees for media, student center repair, dining, and housing. UNC-Chapel Hill is not requesting an in-state increase this week but seeks a 10% increase for out-of-state undergraduates, which would bring annual tuition and fees above $54,000.
The players
NC State University
A large public research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, part of the UNC System, whose trustees are weighing the tuition request.
UNC-Chapel Hill
A large public research university in North Carolina, part of the UNC System, that is seeking a 10% increase for out-of-state undergraduates.
UNC System Board of Governors
The governing body of the University of North Carolina System that set the cap allowing system schools to raise in-state undergraduate tuition by up to 3%.
The details
The UNC System Board of Governors set a cap allowing system schools to raise in-state undergraduate tuition by up to 3%. NC State's trustees must approve its specific request before any change applies to incoming students in fall 2027. Because tuition is locked for students who began in fall 2026, the increase would affect only newly entering in-state undergraduates.
Timeline
Fall 2026: NC State and most UNC schools raised in-state undergraduate tuition 3%.
2017: Last prior in-state undergraduate tuition increase at UNC System schools.
Nov. 12, 2026: NC State's Board of Trustees meets Thursday and Friday to consider the request.
Fall 2027: Proposed 3% in-state tuition increase would take effect.
Education Landscape
The 2026 increase was the first in-state undergraduate tuition rise across UNC System schools since 2017, a nine-year gap. The proposed 2027 request would extend a pattern of modest, capped annual adjustments set by the system's governing board.
Students entering NC State in fall 2027 as in-state undergraduates could face a 3% tuition increase if the board approves it, while students who started in fall 2026 keep locked tuition. Families planning for fall 2027 may want to ask NC State's financial-aid office how a 3% increase would affect their expected costs.
The takeaway
The NC State trustee vote this week will determine whether incoming in-state undergraduates face a 3% increase in fall 2027. Families expecting to enroll then can ask the school's financial-aid office how any approved change would affect their budget.
What happens next
NC State's Board of Trustees meets Thursday and Friday to consider the 3% in-state undergraduate tuition request for fall 2027.
Further reading
For context on how tuition changes affect costs, explore our Financial Aid coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRAL.
Live Poll
Do you think public college tuition should keep rising each year?
