Appalachian State University

Boone, NC appstate.edu 19,304 students

Appalachian State University is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina, offering a scenic campus environment. The student body embraces an outdoor lifestyle, with strong academics particularly noted in education, music, and business. The university is known for its strong school spirit surrounding its Mountaineer athletic teams, and its recent expansion includes a new campus in Hickory.

Programs

Analyzed in dataset

Earnings

$36,346

Average graduate, 1 yr after

Outlook

50/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

Tuition

$7,541

In-state sticker price

Out-of-state: $24,537/yr

Financial Aid

The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. Appalachian State University's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 26% of students receive Pell Grants; 38% take federal loans.

Net Price by Family Income

Academic Year 2025

Income Bracket	Avg Net Price	4-Year Net Cost
$0 – $30K	$8,370	$33,480
$30K – $48K	$11,507	$46,028
$48K – $75K	$15,766	$63,064
$75K – $110K	$20,796	$83,184
$110K+	$21,991	$87,964
Sticker price (no aid)	$7,541	$30,164

Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.

Programs at Appalachian State University

52 degree programs ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.

Degree Program	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
Computer Science Compare across schools →	86	$68,675/yr	Very High	33.0x
Nursing Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare across schools →	85	$69,420/yr	High	24.2x
Finance Finance and Financial Management Services Compare across schools →	82	$52,004/yr	Very High	28.2x
Accounting Accounting and Related Services Compare across schools →	81	$55,671/yr	Very High	24.9x
Construction Management Compare across schools →	78	$59,809/yr	High	24.5x
International Business Compare across schools →	73	$43,989/yr	Very High	25.4x
Management Science Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Compare across schools →	72	$56,340/yr	Very High	17.7x
Insurance Compare across schools →	71	$55,611/yr	Very High	25.6x
Business Administration Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare across schools →	70	$44,126/yr	High	19.0x
Management Information Systems Management Information Systems and Services Compare across schools →	69	$56,650/yr	Very High	26.1x
Health and Medical Administrative Services Compare across schools →	64	$37,911/yr	High	18.6x
Marketing Compare across schools →	63	$42,999/yr	Very High	18.8x
Geography and Cartography Compare across schools →	61	$41,648/yr	High	21.3x
Chemistry Compare across schools →	61	$40,488/yr	High	19.4x
Subject-Area Teaching Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Compare across schools →	60	$41,018/yr	High	14.5x
Teacher Education Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Compare across schools →	59	$41,144/yr	High	14.3x
Mathematics Compare across schools →	58	$40,856/yr	Very High	19.3x
Criminal Justice Criminal Justice and Corrections Compare across schools →	57	$35,796/yr	Moderate	15.8x
Economics Compare across schools →	57	$33,742/yr	Very High	20.9x
Hospitality Management Hospitality Administration/Management Compare across schools →	57	$33,702/yr	High	18.2x
Public Relations & Advertising Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Compare across schools →	54	$36,559/yr	High	17.3x
Environmental Technology Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians Compare across schools →	51	$47,333/yr	Moderate	14.7x
Special Education and Teaching Compare across schools →	50	$43,283/yr	High	15.4x
Biology Biology, General Compare across schools →	49	$29,946/yr	High	21.3x
Food Science and Technology Compare across schools →	48	$38,743/yr	Moderate	11.8x
Apparel and Textiles Compare across schools →	47	$36,945/yr	High	13.9x
Public Health Compare across schools →	47	$34,148/yr	High	15.1x
Design Design and Applied Arts Compare across schools →	46	$34,722/yr	High	17.2x
Parks Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management Compare across schools →	45	$29,646/yr	Moderate	12.1x
Communication and Media Studies Compare across schools →	44	$38,331/yr	High	14.1x
Political Science Political Science and Government Compare across schools →	44	$30,096/yr	Very High	14.8x
Human Development & Family Studies Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Compare across schools →	44	$30,062/yr	High	13.6x
Arts & Media Management Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management Compare across schools →	43	$28,357/yr	High	14.3x
Health & Physical Education Health and Physical Education/Fitness Compare across schools →	43	$24,829/yr	Moderate	17.1x
Social Work Compare across schools →	41	$32,725/yr	Moderate	15.0x
Sociology Compare across schools →	40	$31,559/yr	High	13.8x
Geosciences Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Compare across schools →	39	$35,021/yr	High	16.3x
History Compare across schools →	37	$28,454/yr	High	12.0x
Communication Disorders Communication Disorders Sciences and Services Compare across schools →	37	$12,383/yr	High	18.4x
Dietetics & Nutrition Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Compare across schools →	36	$31,934/yr	High	15.7x
Psychology Psychology, General Compare across schools →	36	$27,484/yr	High	13.2x
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Compare across schools →	36	$23,532/yr	High	13.6x
Journalism Compare across schools →	33	$27,116/yr	Very High	14.9x
Anthropology Compare across schools →	31	$19,624/yr	High	12.4x
Natural Resources & Conservation Research Natural Resources Conservation and Research Compare across schools →	29	$27,631/yr	High	12.7x
Music Compare across schools →	29	$23,304/yr	High	6.7x
Linguistics Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services Compare across schools →	28	$24,657/yr	Very High	7.2x
Fine Arts Fine and Studio Arts Compare across schools →	28	$22,120/yr	Moderate	10.3x
English English Language and Literature, General Compare across schools →	26	$23,397/yr	Very High	11.6x
Theater & Drama Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Compare across schools →	22	$20,256/yr	Moderate	8.3x
International Studies International/Global Studies Compare across schools →	20	$23,073/yr	Moderate	6.6x
Liberal Arts & Humanities Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare across schools →	20	$21,143/yr	Low	6.0x