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Area Pembroke-17Photo: TownofPembrokeNC · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Pembroke

Pembroke is a college town: 19 of every 100 residents are students

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (3,856 students on campus) is inside the town. Across North Carolina, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town19% of residents are studentsUniversity of North Carolina at Pembroke

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Pembroke. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
4,948 students on campus
Nearest college
0.9 mi
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Residents in college
19%
Above NC (6%)
Nearest community college
10.6 mi
Robeson · $2,581 tuition
Nearest public university
0.9 mi
University of North Carolina at Pembroke · $3,648 in-state
Students on campus in Pembroke
3,856
next to 2,888 residents

What stands out about college in Pembroke

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town19 of every 100 Pembroke residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.A university in PembrokeThe University of North Carolina at Pembroke has 3,856 students on campus in Pembroke, 44% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of North Carolina at PembrokeLiving in North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke charges $3,648 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $7,648. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 10.6 miles awayRobeson Community College in Lumberton: tuition and fees $2,581 a year for North Carolina residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Pembroke

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

19 of every 100 Pembroke residents are in college (NC: 6).

3,856students on campus at University of North Carolina at Pembroke, next to 2,888 residents (dorm students count as residents)
377college students live in Pembroke households rather than dorms
24.2median age · NC 39.1
69%of homes rented · NC 33%
$707median rent · 42% below the state
PembrokePembroke, NC
Cost of living$707/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBID−HealthCDC estimatesD−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Pembroke’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 40.7% of Pembroke residents are below the poverty line, 35.1% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 10 points either way). 71% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 19%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health D−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Pembroke’s median age is 24.2 (North Carolina 39.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Pembroke

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Pembroke.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of North Carolina at PembrokeRobesonPembroke
University or collegeCommunity college
University of North Carolina at PembrokeUniversity or college · Public · 3,856 on campus · In Pembroke93%admitted$10knet price44%graduate$43kearningsRobeson Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 1,092 on campus · 10.6 mi · Lumberton$3knet price33%graduate$29kearningsTuition and fees: $2,581 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Under $30k, where Pembroke’s median household income ($25,889) falls.

Robeson Community College10.6 mi · Lumberton · sticker $12,628 · tuition $2,581$2,286a year
University of North Carolina at PembrokeIn Pembroke · sticker $17,261$7,919a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Pembroke: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of North Carolina at PembrokeRobeson
University of North Carolina at Pembroke44% graduate$43k earnings$25k typical debt
Robeson Community College33% graduate$29k earnings

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Pembroke

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of North Carolina at Pembroke, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Interdisciplinary 21%Business 16%Social sciences 12%Public safety 10%Health professions 7%Biology 6%Everything else 28%

Biggest programs

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other209 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations198 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections146 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Sociology146 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Biology, General115 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness85 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods70 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Psychology, General67 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Pembroke

Is Pembroke a college town?

Yes. 19 of every 100 Pembroke residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across North Carolina. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has 3,856 students on campus, next to 2,888 residents.

What colleges are in Pembroke?

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is inside the town. Robeson Community College is 10.6 miles away in Lumberton.

Why is Pembroke’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 40.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 35.1% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 10 points).

What is the closest community college to Pembroke, and what does it cost?

Robeson Community College in Lumberton, 10.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,581 a year for North Carolina residents; the federal net price, $2,892, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of North Carolina at Pembroke?

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke admitted 93% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 970–1,200 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Pembroke. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →