SoutheastUrbanPublic4-yearBiological

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Selective — strong academics get you in the conversation.

Chapel Hill, NC20,576 students
Acceptance Rate
15%
selective
Median SAT
1,440
Middle 50%: 1390–1530
Net Price After Aid
$11.1k
Sticker $43.2k
Graduation Rate
92%
6-year, full-time

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution in Chapel Hill, NC with an acceptance rate of 15% and 20,576 students. The middle 50% of admitted students score 1390–1530 on the SAT and present an average GPA near 3.99. The average net price after financial aid is $11,140 per year.

About University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A public 4-year urban university in Chapel Hill, NC.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus
Campus · Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a college in Chapel Hill, NC. It enrolls roughly 20,576 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 15%. Admitted students typically score between 1390 and 1530 on the SAT.

SoutheastUrbanPublic4-yearBiological
Acceptance Rate
15%
Selective
Total Enrollment
20,576
Very Large
Retention
97%
First-years returning
Graduation Rate
92%
6-year, full-time

Your chances at this school

What admitted students look like here. Sign in to see how your own profile compares.

Acceptance Rate
15%
15 of every 100 applicants admitted
Your Chances
Sign in to see your personalized chances.
Admitted Student GPA
3.99
Average across admitted students

Selective — strong academics get you in the conversation.

What strengthens an application here

  1. SAT scores of 1390 to 1530
    The middle half of admitted students scored in this range. A score in the upper part of it strengthens an application.
  2. A GPA near 3.99 or higher
    This is the average across admitted students.
  3. Depth in one or two activities
    Sustained commitment, a leadership role, or a result in a few activities says more than a long list of memberships.

Your chances estimate is based on your academic profile and activities — it is a guide, not a guarantee of admission. Decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.

Admissions

What it actually takes to get into University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.

Admitted student profile

Range shown is the middle 50%.

SAT
composite, 1600 scale
1,3601,520
1,440
average
ACT
composite, 36 scale
3034
25
average
GPA
weighted, 4.5 max
4.004.00
3.99
average

This school doesn't require test scores, so these ranges reflect only students who chose to submit — applicants who submit tend to have higher scores. The real admitted range likely runs lower. Don't rule yourself out on scores alone.

Application requirements

  • Personal essay required
  • 1 teacher eval
  • Mid-year report
  • Tests sometimes required
  • $85 application fee
  • Accepts fee waiver

Deadlines (2026-27)

Early Action
Oct 15, 2026
Regular Decision
Jan 15, 2027

Source: Common App 2026-27 requirements grid (verified Aug 2026). Always confirm on the college's own site.

Cost & financial aid

Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after grants and scholarships.

Sticker price
—
Tuition $43,152
Average net price after aid
$11,140
38% of students receive financial aid

Net price by family income

Average amount paid out of pocket — tuition, fees, and room & board minus all grant aid.

$0 – $30,000
$3,165
$30,001 – $48,000
$5,143
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,220
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,106
$110,001 +
$24,077

Net price represents the average cost after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal financial aid.

Pell Grant Recipients
20%
Need-based federal grant
Take Federal Loans
13%
Avg loan $12,989 / year
Avg Grant Aid
—
Per receiving student / year

Academics & majors

Where students at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.

Student : Faculty
15:1
Class-size proxy
Primary Focus
Biological
15% of degrees awarded
Retention
97%
First-years returning
A breakdown of the top majors by share of degrees awarded ships once we finish backfilling per-school program data.

Student body

Who attends University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.

Race & ethnicity

  • White56%
  • Asian15%
  • Hispanic10%
  • Black8%
  • Two or more races5%
  • International5%

Gender

  • Female61%
  • Male39%
International
5%
Of total enrollment
Live on Campus
—
Undergraduate residential rate
Total Enrollment
20,576

Outcomes after graduation

What University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduates do next — and what they earn.

Median Earnings
$72.2k
10 years after enrollment
Employed at 2 yrs
—
Working or in grad school
Pursue Grad School
—
Within 5 years
Graduation Rate
92%
6-year, full-time

Is it worth it?

Earnings, debt, and price side by side — context for the cost-vs-payoff question, not a ranking.

Median earnings
$72.2k
10 yrs after entry
Typical debt
$13.0k
median, borrowers only
Avg. net price
$11.1k/yr
after aid
  • These numbers reflect who enrolls, not the value the school adds. A college's earnings can look high simply because it admits wealthier, higher-scoring students — not because of what happens there.
  • Earnings vary far more by major and career path than by school. A school-wide median blends engineers and artists into one number that may match no real student.
  • Federal earnings and debt figures cover only students who received federal aid, so they leave out full-pay students and can skew the picture.
  • Net price is an average across aided students and debt is the median for borrowers only — many students borrow nothing. Your actual cost depends on your own aid package.

What this means

$72k is well above the national bachelor's-graduate median at the 10-year mark, and a 92% graduation rate puts University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the top tier nationally.

Similar schools

If University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is on your list, students often also consider these.

Related searches

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill acceptance rate
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SAT scores
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tuition cost
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill deadlines
  • How to get into University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Best schools in North Carolina
Sign up to see your oddsDetails