UNC students with aid paid less on average (in-state): $11,305 vs $18,056 a year. For fall 2027, UNC requires scores from some applicants; UVA doesn't need the SAT or ACT. UVA is due first, on Jan 5.
Highlighted = the better number: lower price or debt, higher rate or pay.
Sticker price per year (in-state at public colleges)
$26,949
$41,803
Average paid after grants (in-state at public colleges)
$11,305
$18,056
Average paid from out of state, estimated
$47,438
$57,082
What in-state families with aid paid, by income
Measure
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Virginia
Under $30,000
$2,212
$9,479
$30,000–$48,000
$2,989
$8,203
$48,000–$75,000
$6,761
$13,391
$75,000–$110,000
$12,883
$17,879
Over $110,000
$24,276
$33,994
After you start
Measure
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Virginia
Undergrads
20,752
17,597
Graduate within 6 years
92%
95%
Come back for year two
97%
98%
Median earnings 10 years after starting
$81,094
$96,468
Median debt at graduation
$12,086
$15,000
Highlighted only when the gap is at least 5%. "Average paid" is what students who got federal aid paid per year after grants, not a price quote; at public colleges the income rows are in-state students. The out-of-state estimate adds a public college's extra out-of-state tuition to its in-state average; out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more. How we get our numbers