University of North Carolina Asheville
Finances
The cost of attending college is a big factor for most students.
On this page, you'll learn the cost of attending University of North Carolina Asheville, the net price after need-based aid, and how much students typically pay if they don’t qualify for need-based aid. Let's dive in and talk financials.
Cost Breakdown
The cost of attending University of North Carolina Asheville varies, and it’s important to understand the difference between published rates (commonly known as the list price or sticker price) and actual prices. At some schools, most students get a discount to the list price in the form of scholarships.
First, let’s look at the list price breakdown according to UNCA. Here's what the costs look like:
Here’s how the total cost for students living on campus has changed in recent years.
Scholarship information added Oct 2026 - Updated information here.
The Access Asheville financial aid program continues to succeed in meeting the financial needs of low- and middle-income families from North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and the university is excited to announce that students and families with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less are now eligible for the program, up from $90,000 last year.
First-year and transfer students from NC, GA, SC, TN, and VA applying to UNC Asheville for Fall 2027 and beyond are eligible if their household adjusted gross income (AGI) is $100,000 or less.
Eligible North Carolina residents are guaranteed to have tuition and mandatory fees covered after all federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships are applied, with a minimum annual savings of $7,628 per student.
Eligible residents from GA, SC, TN, and VA are guaranteed to have all but $10,000 of their tuition and mandatory fees covered after all federal and institutional grants and scholarships are applied—a minimum annual savings of $14,914 per student.
Students may be eligible for additional financial support upon enrollment, including Federal Work-Study and loans. Students can also apply for institutional scholarships after committing to UNC Asheville.
Scholarship and grant funding from Access Asheville is available for up to eight semesters for first-year students and seven semesters for transfer students, or until degree completion, whichever occurs first.
AVL Scholars is a new financial aid program covering complete tuition and fees for eligible Buncombe County first-year students with at least a 3.3 GPA, providing a minimum savings of $7,628.
Net Price
Although the out-of-state cost to attend University of North Carolina Asheville is $43,895 per year, many students pay less.
Some of this is due to need-based aid being given to students of families based on income and assets. The average net price that families pay is $13,798.
Average Net Price by Income
Net price data is provided by the U.S. government, but it's delayed by 1-2 years. So, the current net prices might be slightly higher. You can get a more accurate estimate of your cost using the college’s Net Price Calculator.
Merit Price
Students from higher income families will generally not qualify for need-based aid, but they might qualify for merit aid.
Some colleges are more generous with merit aid than others. CollegeIQ calculates a Merit Price™ for colleges, which represents the average amount students should expect to pay. We also have a Merit Meter™ rating for colleges, which represents how generous the school is when handing out merit aid compared to other colleges.
The Merit Meter represents how much merit aid the school gives and to how many students. It is based on the percentage of students UNCA gives merit aid to and the amount given compared to the cost of attendance, compared to other colleges and universities. Learn more about how the CollegeIQ Merit Meter is calculated.
UNCA granted merit aid to about 68% of entering freshmen who did not qualify for need-based aid. The average merit aid discount is $3,306. Based on this, CollegeIQ estimates that many students who don't qualify for need-based aid should expect to pay, on average, $23,303.
The Merit Price represents CollegeIQ’s estimate of attending University of North Carolina Asheville for students who don’t qualify for need-based aid. This number is based on the average merit aid the school gave to freshmen, if at least 40% of students receive merit aid. Learn more about how the CollegeIQ Merit Meter is calculated.
While the amount of merit scholarships a school offers is relevant, the more important number is how much it costs to attend. A school that gives no merit but is cheaper than the merit price of a generous Merit Score is still less expensive.
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