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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC · Public · Small city · Carnegie R1/R2 · UNCCH

Public institution in Chapel Hill, NC · 20,556 undergraduates · 19% acceptance rate · $72,200 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price
$12,983518th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$8,989477th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$39,3301,580th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Cost of attendance
$25,181700th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
Median graduate debt
$14,000267th lowest of 1,865 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$72,200241st highest of 1,954 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$57,057302nd highest of 1,950 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
92.1%64th highest of 2,014 reporting
Full-time retention
97.2%85th highest of 1,837 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
18.7%73rd most selective of 1,596 reporting
Average SAT
145465th highest of 1,022 reporting
Median ACT
25346th highest of 952 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates
20,556110th largest of 2,144 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
15.0:11,301st smallest of 2,141 reporting
Pell Grant share
20.3%1,693rd highest of 2,122 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 117 mi (CLT)

On 3 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

Common App member
Yes
Application fee
$85
Personal essay
Required
Writing supplement
No

Supplemental prompts (2025-26)

  • We’d like to know how you’d contribute to the Carolina community and ask that you respond to each prompt in up to 250 words.
  • Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.
  • Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Source: Aristotle Circle 2025-26 supplemental prompt roundup

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Admitted class profile (Fall 2024 entering class (Class of 2029))

Average GPA
4.49 (weighted GPA scale (school-reported, not 4.0-unweighted like most private peers))
Top 10% of high-school class
77%

Sources: oira.unc.edu, admissions.unc.edu

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 50 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusinessbachelors$76,041$73,823
Computer Sciencebachelors$74,576$72,083
Applied MathematicsMathematics & Statisticsbachelors$68,666$67,660
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professionsbachelors$59,485$58,943
Information Science/StudiesComputer Sciencebachelors$59,485$53,984
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professionsbachelors$58,842$59,534
EconomicsSocial Sciencesbachelors$57,098$51,794
Health and Medical Administrative ServicesHealth Professionsbachelors$55,964$52,107
Biomedical/Medical EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$55,061—
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professionsbachelors$54,656$53,775
MathematicsMathematics & Statisticsbachelors$54,053$48,198
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professionsbachelors$50,606—

Campus facts

Athletics — 16 sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $17,149,342 (M $9,121,336 · W $8,028,006)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.

Notable alumni

Illustrative alumni only — not exhaustive and not a quality ranking. Affiliation claims cite Wikipedia/Wikidata; confirm on primary bios before relying on them.

Nearest undergraduate enrollment to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s 20,556 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.

In NC

Elsewhere