University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC · SoutheastQuad's selectivityHighly selective

Known forTop test scoresBig campusBig endowment per studentHigh graduation rateTest-optional heavy

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

1 in 7 applicants admitted

UNC admits about 1 in 7 applicants (15%). That puts it in the "Highly selective" tier, more selective than 96% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

15%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityHighly selective

Applied

66,535

Admitted

10,209

Yield

45%

of admits enroll

Avg. GPA

4.47

weighted

SAT middle 50%

1390–1530

10001600

ACT middle 50%

28–34

1836

Applications +112% since fall 2014 · admit rate 28% → 15%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A large campus of 20,752 undergrads, where 20% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

20.8K

undergrads · larger than 95% of colleges

Diversity index

0.67

Pell Grant

20%

below the median

First generation

20%

below the median

Small cityNCAA D-I FBS · Atlantic Coast ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

More diverse · index 0.55 → 0.67 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Biology/Biological Sciences, General (11% of graduates). 15 students for every faculty member, more than at 66% of colleges. 78% of faculty are full-time. Spends $33,767 a year on instruction per student.

15 to 1

students per faculty member · more than at 66% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $25,694 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $1.4K more than the national median. The 38% who received grants paid $10,154 on average; the other 62% paid the full sticker price of $26,109 in-state / $56,450 out-of-state.

21%

$25.7K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $1.4K above the national median

Full price, in-state: $26,109 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Little need-based aid above $110K; aid thins out for families above that income

Aid generosity

Limited

grants cover 21% of full price

Federal loans

13%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost falling · −5% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $72,200 ten years after enrolling, more than at 85% of colleges; 91% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 1.4 years of that salary.

91%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$72.2K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$14K

≈ $148/month for 10 years

Retention

97%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 90% → 91% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price fell 11% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid fell 5%, as grants covered less of it. Applications rose 112% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 28% to 15%.

Cost
Falling
−5% after inflation
Applications
Growing
+112%
Selectivity
More selective
admit rate 28% → 15%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.55 → 0.67

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

31% admit · 22K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso public

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University of Florida

20% admit · SAT 1400 · 35.6K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar scoresSimilar size

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University of Virginia-Main Campus

17% admit · SAT 1475 · 17.6K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar scoresSimilar size

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University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

16% admit · SAT 1450 · 34.2K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar scoresSimilar size

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025–26
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Fall 2025; Fall 2027 applicants; Entered fall 2024; 2025–26; Fall 2026 entrants; Entered fall 2019; Fall 2026 cycle; Class of 2025 · retrieved 2026-10-04
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2026–27)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · 2026–27 · retrieved 2026-10-10
13
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
State laws on public colleges
State legislatures (statutes read and summarized by hand) · In effect since June 24, 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04
18
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
19
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
20
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
21
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2026)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 199120 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything