A new report by the College Board shows North Carolina's two-year college tuition and fees at public institutions are up more than 50 percent in the last 15 years.
The hike, from $1,619 in 2004-05 to $2,449 in 2019-20, is the 14th largest increase of the 49 states included in the report, posted online at TheCenterSquare.com. Tuition data was not available for Alaska.
Between the 2018-19 and the 2019-20 academic years, North Carolina’s two-year tuition and fees saw a decrease of 2 percent, according to the College Board numbers.
The study also showed that in eight states, average tuition and fees at community colleges has decreased over the past five years when costs are adjusted for inflation.
Six states posted tuition increases of at least 15 percent over the same five-year period, the College Board found.
Report figures are not reflective of some states’ efforts to have tuition-free community college systems, where students receive financial aid to cover tuition costs.