Fayetteville State ranks among top 10 most affordable HBCU in North Carolina, nation

Fayetteville State University ranks among the top 10 most affordable historically Black colleges and universities in the state and in the nation.

Established before the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, historically Black colleges and universities were created to primarily serve the Black community. 

FSU ranked No. 2 in North Carolina and No. 7 in the U.S. for most affordable HBCU, according to an analysis by Leading Tree.

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Nearly 7,000 students attend FSU. African American students make up nearly 60% of the university’s student population, Caucasian students make up about 20% and Latino students make up less than 9%.

Dr. Monica Leach, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at FSU, said the recognition speaks volumes.

Leach, who has worked in higher education for the past 30 years, said FSU is very conscious of the need to keep tuition affordable for students and their families.

“Over the years, you’ve seen a rising cost of tuition around the country in various places and being where we are positioned here in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and understanding that our population is almost 80% rural, it is important that we understand who our students are and the importance of keeping college affordable,” she said.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce annually ranks the state’s 100 counties based on economic status and assigns each a tier; — one, two or three. Cumberland is ranked as a tier one county.

“Tier one or tier two counties are designated as rural,” Leach said.

As an example, Mecklenburg is a designated tier three county, which expands over the city of Charlotte, she said.

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Colleges and universities in Mecklenburg County have a slightly higher tuition rate than colleges and universities in Cumberland County.

“Students do look at reducing …their reliance on student loans. So for us, it’s critically important,” Leach said. “We’ve been added to NC Promise and NC Promise affords us the opportunity to offer tuition at a reduced rate.”

The NC Promise program lowers the in-state tuition to $500. Students from out of state pay $2,500 in tuition.

Leach said the ranking is a great recruitment and retention tool for the university. The four-year student success rate at FSU is less than 25%, with a retention rate of about 60%, according to 2021 fall data from the university.

“That gives us an opportunity to be affordable but also stay competitive in the market place in educating students, who quite frankly, don’t have generational wealth to pay for their college education,” Leach said.

Health and education writer Ariana-Jasmine Castrellon can be reached at acastrellon@gannett.com or 910-486-3561.