🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $6,364/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$6,536 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting or Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Total enrollment
1,975
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$6,536
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$10,536
+$4,000 vs in-state
Admit rate
70.5%
Accessible
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$40,026
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$33,776
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,026
4-year completion
44%
Median debt (completers)
$21,463
Cost of attendance
$17,701
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
54%

💰 True ROI

15.7× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$25,456
$6,364/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$45,348
vs sticker $70,804
10-yr earnings total
$400,260
$40,026/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
0.6 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Elizabeth City State University, the average net price is $6,364/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$4,246/yr
Family income $30-48k
$4,538/yr
Family income $48-75k
$5,354/yr
Family income $75-110k
$10,205/yr
Family income $110k+
$15,663/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Elizabeth City State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Elizabeth City State University →

Opens on Elizabeth City State University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Elizabeth City State University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Elizabeth City State University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
61 degrees · 27.6%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.
2. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
53 degrees · 24.0%
Typical career outcomes
Project Manager $99k Management Analyst $99k Research Analyst $79k
Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.
3. Business, Management, & Marketing
40 degrees · 18.1%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
4. Transportation & Materials Moving
34 degrees · 15.4%
5. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness
33 degrees · 14.9%
Typical career outcomes
Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k
Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Elizabeth City State University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 13 $68,723
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 23 $53,625
Criminal Justice and Corrections. Bachelor's Degree 41 $29,778 $50,239
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 15 $50,146
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 44 $49,903
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. Bachelor's Degree 27 $26,821 $48,398
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 21 $45,224

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Elizabeth City State University

CS degrees (annual)
7
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Elizabeth City State University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

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