Key differences on Getting in
- 1
UNC's yield is 30 pts higher than Howard's
Yield rate - 2
UNC's SAT midpoint is 295 points higher than Howard's
SAT midpoint - 3
UNC is 2.8× more selective than Howard
Acceptance rate
Admissions
Getting in, fall 2024
Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.
The funnel
Quad's selectivity
- HowardSelective
- UNCHighly selective
Men and women
Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.
Test scores
SAT total,
Axis runs 900–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.
ACT composite,
Axis runs 16–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.
Test policy
- HowardTest-optional
- UNCRequired for some applicants
How they read a record
Howard
, GPA, and tests are all very important; class rank is considered. 50% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight.
UNC
is very important; GPA and class rank are both important; tests are considered. This college reports (average 4.47), which pile most students into the top band; the bands can't show how crowded unweighted GPAs are.
What they look at
| Factor | Howard | UNC |
|---|---|---|
| High school GPA | Very important | Important |
| High school record | Required | Required |
| Class rank | Considered | Important |
| College-prep program | Required | Considered |
| Recommendations | Considered | Very important |
| Essay | Considered | Very important |
| Legacy status | Considered | Considered |
| Work experience | Considered | Important |
| Demonstration of competencies | Considered | Considered |
| English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
Sources:Howard University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Howard University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Howard University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why