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It's hard to beat Appalachian State University. The campus is located in the heart of the North Carolina Appalachian Mountain range where beautiful vistas and outdoor adventures abound all year. Then there's the academics, which are stellar. App State offers undergraduates a choice of over 150 bachelor's degrees in areas such as the arts, business, science, engineering, healthcare, and technology. Every student should be able to find something to fuel their passion.


Overview of Appalachian State University (ASU)


Programs are available online for those who need extra flexibility or just want to study from home. After graduation, students often stick around Boone and enroll in one of 70 graduate programs. After class, ASU students find plenty to occupy themselves with. Skiers will love that both Beech and Sugar Mountains are local, and that the area is rife with excellent hiking and backpacking opportunities in more clement weather. For everyday recreation, the Student Recreation Center has something for everyone including a 50ft climbing wall, a cardio room, weights, a 50-meter swimming pool, and more. Students can also compete in intramural sports such as tennis, disc golf, kan-jam, and more. There are also club-level sports for those wishing to compete in climbing, ice hockey, fencing, and rugby, among other sports.

General Information


School Type Public
Campus Setting Town: Distant
Campus Housing Yes
Student Faculty Ratio 16:1
Graduation Rate 73%
Year Founded 1899

Student Enrollment


Total Students19,280

Undergraduate
17,518
Graduate
1,762

Undergraduate Student

Male 7,708
7,708
Female 9,810
9,810

Graduate Student

Male 775
775
Female 987
987

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ASU Acceptance Rate and Admissions


APPLICATIONS16,664

Male 6,751
Female 9,913

ACCEPTANCE12,831

Male 4,793
Female 8,030

Acceptance Rate77%

Male 71%
Female 81%

Enrollment 3,464

Male 1,343
Female 2,121
Admissions
Application Fee $65
High School GPA Required
High School Rank Recommended
High School Transcripts Required
College Prep Courses Required
Recommendations NA
SAT/ACT Required
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Required
Application Deadline February 15
Common Application Accepted Yes

ASU Tuition Cost & Financial Aid


Appalachian State University is a public university that offers a terrific value to North Carolina residents and out-of-state students alike. Those from the Tarheel State face a gross cost for tuition, supplies, books, and fees that totals near $10,000 and out-of-state students pay twice that. When living expenses are added, state residents pay $23,000 and non-residents pay $33,000. Off-campus students are estimated to pay the same rates as those living on-campus, but that is subject to real estate markets and how each student manages their expenses.

However, ASU has terrific financial aid packages, so the average net cost is far more appealing. The average net cost is what students have left to pay after their financial aid package is applied. For in-state, full-time students, the average net price of ASU is $13,000. However, when that’s broken down by income demographics, the lower income households pay only $8,600 and the top income households see a net price of $20,000. This is partly due to the fact that 69% of ASU students receive grants or scholarships that average $8,700 per student.

Average net price 2018-2019
Net Price $10,525
Average Total Aid $9,033
Students Receiving Financial Aid 70%
Room & Board $8,826

Sticker Price


  • Tuition In-State - $7,409
  • Tuition Out-of-State - $22,216
  • Books and Supplies - $700
  • Room & Board - $8,826
  • Other - $2,780

Academics


When students are able to pry their eyes away from their beautiful surroundings, Appalachian State offers terrific academic programs. If the educational statistics are any measure, students agree and are dedicated to their studies here and their future careers. The retention and graduation statistics particularly reflect student satisfaction. The retention rate measures how many first-year students return to campus for a second year and graduation rates are an extension of that, showing how many stay until graduation.

ASU's retention rate is a solid 70% for full-time first-year students and 39% for part-time students. Thus, there's an excellent chance that the friends who meet in the first-year dorms will be there for each other in the future. Then, ASU reports a 52% graduation rate, a bit below the national average, and a transfer-out rate of 33%. Thus, 85% of ASU students complete their degrees on campus or at another school. This would indicate that ASU prepares students for success, even if they need to complete a degree at another location.

All of this academic success might be attributed to the mountain air, but it's more likely that students are stimulated and thrive due to the favorable student-to-faculty ratio, which is 18 to 1. While freshmen might have to line up meetings with professors for their general education courses, they should have plenty of time and small classes for their final senior classes and seminars.

Student Population Total


Student Population 19,280

Undergraduate
17,518
Graduate
1,762
Evening Classes : No
Online Learning : Yes

Most Popular Programs & Majors

(# of Diplomas Awarded by Subject)


All Business Majors 787 Total Graduates / 20%
Business Administration and Management, General 176 Graduates
Accounting 114 Graduates
Marketing/Marketing Management, General 111 Graduates
Finance, General 89 Graduates
Health Professions and Related Programs 441 Total Graduates / 11%
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 72 Graduates
Dietetics/Dietitian 52 Graduates
Health/Health Care Administration/Management 49 Graduates
Public Health Education and Promotion 49 Graduates
All Education Majors 384 Total Graduates / 10%
Elementary Education and Teaching 164 Graduates
History Teacher Education 41 Graduates
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 34 Graduates
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 31 Graduates
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs 314 Total Graduates / 8%
Advertising 96 Graduates
Public Relations/Image Management 75 Graduates
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 60 Graduates
Radio and Television 52 Graduates
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies 279 Total Graduates / 7%
Kinesiology and Exercise Science 190 Graduates
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management, General 89 Graduates
All Other Diplomas 45%

Outcome & Salary


Upon enrollment, every ASU student and their family are curious to have an idea of how well their investment will pay off. Though there is no way to put a true monetary value on an education, the high academic quality of an ASU diploma often translates into high salaries and a lifetime of professional satisfaction.

Upon reviewing the top earners among ASU alumni, you can see that the computer science students lead the salary pack with a median income of $59,000 for their starting salary. At the lower end are the teacher education graduates who report a median salary of $37,000. In the middle are business students whose reported median salaries are around $50,000.

Graduates Salary
College Grads Early Career Salary $47,900
College Grads Average Salary $57,356
College Grads Mid Career Salary $85,400
Return on Investment (ROI)
10 Year Salary Earnings Potential $573,560
20 Year Salary Earnings Potential $1,427,560
Cost of Education (Net Price) 4 Year $42,100
10 Year Projected ROI $531,460
20 Year Projected ROI $1,385,460
No College Education Salary Comparison
National Average Salary $38,792
10 Year Projected Income $387,920
20 Year Projected Income $775,840

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