Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Appalachian State University Featured Rankings
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in North Carolina
- #6 Online Bachelor’s in Elementary Education
- #6 North Carolina's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #7 Best Online MBAs North Carolina
- #8 Best Public Colleges in North Carolina
- #8 Online Bachelor’s in Child Development
- #8 Most Affordable Colleges in North Carolina 2026
- #9 Best Grad Schools in North Carolina 2026
- #9 North Carolina's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #11 20 Most Affordable Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #11 Online Bachelor’s in Education
- #11 Best Colleges in North Carolina
- #15 Most Affordable Graduate Schools
- #36 Best Online Colleges
About Appalachian State University
According to Wikipedia, Appalachian State University is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dougherty. The university expanded to include other programs in 1967 and joined the University of North Carolina System in 1971.
Appalachian State University's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in International Leadership
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Residency Licensure
- Required Credits: 18-24
- Format: Fully online
BS in Workforce Leadership & Development
- Required Credits: 50-59
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in College And University Teaching Graduate Certificate
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Technology Facilitation
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Technology Leadership
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Online Learning And Professional Development
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Birth Through Kindergarten Graduate Certificate
- Required Credits: 24
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in School Leadership
- Required Credits: 24
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Special Education
- Required Credits: 24
- Format: Fully online
EdS in Educational Administration
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
EdS in Higher Education: Education Specialist
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
BS in Child Development - Birth Through Kindergarten
- Required Credits: 63
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Middle And Secondary Teaching
- Required Credits: 19-24
- Format: Fully online
CTE in Career And Technical Education
Degree Concentrations
- Business
- Finance And Information Technology Education
- Required Credits: 50-68
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Appalachian Studies
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in New Media Literacies And Global Perspectives
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Aging, Health, And Society
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education Graduate
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Appalachian State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24,001 | 90% | 84% | 71% | 1200 | 24 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Appalachian State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $7,642 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $11,070 |
| 30K - 48K | $10,994 |
| 48K - 75K | $12,977 |
| 75K - 110K | $19,354 |
| 110K+ | $22,753 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Appalachian State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Appalachian State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $57,488 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Appalachian State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 23,026 | 20,856 | 2,170 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Appalachian State University?
Appalachian State University is located at 287 Rivers St, Boone, NC 28608.
How Safe is Appalachian State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Appalachian State University has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 0.01%. Boone has a violent crime rate of 0.08% and a property crime rate of 0.91%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Appalachian State University Known For?
Appalachian State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Education
- Earth Sciences
- Sociology
- Physics
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Biology
- History
- Mathematics
- Business
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Psychology
- Medical
- Nursing
Appalachian State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Appalachian State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Appalachian State University ranks #243 in the U.S. and #1002 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #243 in the U.S. and #1053 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #336 in the U.S. and #1171 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #344 in the U.S. and #1544 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #370 in the U.S. and #1144 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #372 in the U.S. and #1378 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #382 in the U.S. and #1561 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #391 in the U.S. and #1100 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #401 in the U.S. and #1682 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #424 in the U.S. and #1486 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #424 in the U.S. and #1975 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #427 in the U.S. and #802 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #449 in the U.S. and #1118 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #452 in the U.S. and #1850 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #464 in the U.S. and #1403 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #579 in the U.S. and #2757 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #611 in the U.S. and #2044 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #677 in the U.S. and #3055 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #708 in the U.S. and #1844 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #827 in the U.S. and #2907 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesAppalachian State University ranks #1983 in the U.S. and #5001 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Appalachian State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Appalachian State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Education, and Earth Sciences. Here are some of Appalachian State University's most famous alumni:
- Henry Giroux
- An American academic.
- David Weber
- An American science fiction and fantasy writer.
- Brock Long
- A Director of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- Stephen J. Dubner
- An American journalist.
- Franklin Graham
- A Christian evangelist and missionary, son of Billy Graham.
- Steven M. Greer
- An American ufologist.
- Charles Frazier
- An American novelist.
- Robert Allen Phillips
- An American academic.
- Mary Ellen Snodgrass
- An American writer.
- Chris Swecker
- An Assistant Director of the FBI.
- James Emery White
- An American baptist theologian.
- Eric Church
- An American musician.
