University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, NC · Public · Midsize city · Carnegie R1/R2 · UNC W · UNC Wilmington · UNC-W · UNCW · Univ of NC-Wilmington · University of NC at Wilmington · University of North Carolina Wilmington · University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Public institution in Wilmington, NC · 14,176 undergraduates · 74% acceptance rate · $54,967 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Top 8%Undergraduates
Top 15%In-state tuition & fees
Top 20%Graduation rate (4-year)
Top 23%Full-time retention

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: $19,4721,032nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
In-state tuition & fees: $7,317297th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees: $22,9851,007th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Cost of attendance: $25,913739th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
Median graduate debt: $19,500574th lowest of 1,880 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $54,967797th highest of 1,969 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $46,972727th highest of 1,964 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year): 70.7%398th highest of 2,031 reporting
Full-time retention: 85.0%431st highest of 1,853 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate: 74.0%727th most selective of 1,608 reporting
Average SAT: 1262251st highest of 1,024 reporting
Median ACT: 26270th highest of 954 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates: 14,176178th largest of 2,162 reporting
Student-faculty ratio: 17.0:11,598th smallest of 2,159 reporting
Pell Grant share: 23.8%1,529th highest of 2,140 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 187 mi (CLT)

On 1 of our 111 lists

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

Most Selective Colleges in North Carolina#19

Applying

EANov 1
RDFeb 1

Common App member: Yes
Application fee: $80
Personal essay: Required
Writing supplement: No

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.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 47 reported programs.

Field	Level	1 yr	2 yr
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions	bachelors	$61,326	$59,253
Computer Science	bachelors	$59,948	$64,493
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science	bachelors	$52,107	$45,715
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherHealth Professions	bachelors	$44,170	$46,478
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness	bachelors	$43,670	$43,201
Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness	bachelors	$38,559	$35,274
MathematicsMathematics & Statistics	bachelors	$38,289	$38,597
PhysicsPhysical Sciences	bachelors	$38,289	—
Special Education and TeachingEducation	bachelors	$37,517	$38,289
Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesPhysical Sciences	bachelors	$36,488	$28,598
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation	bachelors	$36,086	$37,179
ChemistryPhysical Sciences	bachelors	$35,060	$39,909

Campus facts

Founded in 1947source
Athletic nickname: "Seahawks"source
Competes in NCAA Division Isource
Mascot: Sammy C. Hawksource
Motto: "(Latin)"source
Formerly known as "Wilmington College"source
Formerly known as "(1947–1969)"source
Athletic conference: CAAsource
Fight song: ""Green and Gold""source
Notable alum: Skeet Ulrichsource

Athletics — 10 sports

NCAA Division I without football · NCAA Division I

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $3,158,655 (M $1,450,775 · W $1,707,880)

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