North Carolina State University vs. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Residency decides this one before grades do. NC State admits a far larger share of who applies, so the admit math works in your favor; UNC saves most of its seats for North Carolinians by law, and out of state you face long odds no matter how strong you look on paper. Picture your days, too. At NC State in Raleigh you wire into the Research Triangle's tech economy, and you build a degree around engineering, computing, agriculture, or design on a land-grant campus that enrolls thousands more undergraduates than Carolina. Walk the older flagship 25 miles west and the draw changes. UNC leads with the social sciences, the biological sciences, and well-known journalism, business, and public health, and the Old Well still marks the center of a tighter, more selective place. Both keep in-state tuition low. Both read your course rigor above all else. So weigh what you're really choosing: the Wolfpack's wide-open applied-science campus where you stand a real shot, or Carolina's harder door and the residency wall that guards it.

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NC StateRaleigh, NC

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

NC State CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from NC State CDS (Fall 2024).
39.5%acceptance rate
Applied
49,350
Admitted
19,510
Enrolled
5,774

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state48.9%
10,570 admitted of 21,636 applicants
Out-of-state35.7%
6,963 admitted of 19,487 applicants
International22.9%
668 admitted of 2,920 applicants

Early action

NC State offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

NC State is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1310
50th Percentile
1390
75th Percentile
1440

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
25
50th Percentile
29
75th Percentile
32

Class rank

Where NC State's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class41%
Top quarter of class78%
Top half of class97%

Based on the 75% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. NC State does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How NC State weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from NC State's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$25,835
In-State
$50,800
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$9,028$33,993
Room & Board
$14,741$14,741
Other Expenses
$2,066$2,066
Total
$25,835$50,800

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$6k
$30–48k~$9k
$48–75k~$13k
$75–110k~$20k
$110k+~$25k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants19.6%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
39%
Avg. Package
$17,364
Avg. Need Met
75%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Engineering
Business & Marketing
Agriculture & Natural Res.
Biological & Life Sciences
Social Sciences
Psychology
Computer & Info Sciences
Other
Engineering
24%
Business
17%
Agriculture
11%
Life Sci
10%
Social Sci
5%
Psychology
5%
Computing
6%
Other
22%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

16:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return94%
Graduate within six years85%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$76k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$20k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

NC State’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

Show all 30 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
97%
In Fraternities
11%
In Sororities
15%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Raleigh, NC

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
5232J
5533F
6340M
7249A
8058M
8766J
9170J
8969A
8263S
7351O
6241N
5535D
Snow a year
5 in
Precipitation a year
49 in
Days at 90°F or above
47
Days below 32°F
57

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, RALEIGH STATE UNIV, NC US station, 1.4 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

51%
49%
Male
14,922
Female
14,418

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White65%
Asian and Pacific Islander10.2%
Hispanic10.1%
Other8.5%
Black5.8%
Native American<1%
UNC-Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

UNC CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from UNC CDS (Fall 2025).
16.7%acceptance rate
Applied
76,247
Admitted
12,751
Enrolled
5,091

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state37.0%
6,605 admitted of 17,846 applicants
Out-of-state9.6%
4,685 admitted of 48,645 applicants
International15.0%
1,461 admitted of 9,756 applicants

Early action

UNC-Chapel Hill offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

UNC-Chapel Hill is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1400
50th Percentile
1470
75th Percentile
1530

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
29
50th Percentile
32
75th Percentile
34

Class rank

Where UNC-Chapel Hill's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class76%
Top quarter of class97%
Top half of class100%

Based on the 66% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. UNC-Chapel Hill does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How UNC-Chapel Hill weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from UNC-Chapel Hill's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$28,895
In-State
$69,137
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$9,359$49,601
Room & Board
$15,870$15,870
Other Expenses
$3,666$3,666
Total
$28,895$69,137

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$2k
$30–48k~$4k
$48–75k~$9k
$75–110k~$16k
$110k+~$24k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants20%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
30%
Avg. Package
$21,695
Avg. Need Met
100%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Social Sciences
Biological Sciences
Interdisciplinary Studies
Communication & Journalism
Computer & Information Sciences
Business & Marketing
Other
Social Sci
16%
Bio Sci
13%
Interdisc
9%
Comm/Journ
8%
Comp Sci
8%
Business
7%
Other
39%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

14:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return97%
Graduate within six years91%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$81k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$14k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

UNC-Chapel Hill’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Biology

    571 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$62kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Communication & Media Studies

    465 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$70kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Business Administration & Management

    416 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$136kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$14k median debt
  • Economics

    349 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$104kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$14k median debt
  • Computer Science

    334 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$137kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$14k median debt
Show all 25 programs
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    295 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$63kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Political Science

    255 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$72kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Nursing

    215 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$79kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Neuroscience

    166 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$22kmedian pay, 1 yr after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Biomedical EngineeringABET accreditedBiomedical Engineering is accredited by ABET, the accreditor for engineering, computing, and applied science programs.

    147 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$98kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Environmental Science & Natural Resources

    129 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$12k median debt
  • English

    105 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$51kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Area Studies

    98 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$66kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$13k median debt
  • Chemistry

    87 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$14k median debt
  • Public Policy

    87 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$74kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$14k median debt
  • Mathematics

    71 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$102kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • History

    71 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$58kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$14k median debt
  • Physics

    28 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$103kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Music

    27 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$58kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt
  • Public Health

    26 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Fine & Studio Arts

    25 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$42kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$12k median debt
  • Linguistics & Language Studies

    18 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$54kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Philosophy

    18 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$71kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Earth & Geological Sciences

    17 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Psychology

    Degrees conferred not published (2023-24)

    ~$57kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$14k median debt

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
99%
In Fraternities
6%
In Sororities
9%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Small city
Location
Chapel Hill, NC

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
5129J
5431F
6238M
7247A
7956M
8665J
9069J
8868A
8262S
7249O
6238N
5432D
Snow a year
3 in
Precipitation a year
49 in
Days at 90°F or above
44
Days below 32°F
77

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, CHAPEL HILL 2 W, NC US station, 1.6 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

39%
61%
Male
8,667
Female
13,340

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White52.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander17%
Other13.7%
Hispanic10%
Black6.6%
Native American<1%

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NC State vs. UNC-Chapel Hill: frequently asked questions

UNC-Chapel Hill admits a far smaller share: about 15.3% of applicants get in, against roughly 41.3% at NC State, so NC State takes in well over twice the proportion. Out-of-state applicants face even longer odds, since state law caps non-residents near 12% of UNC's undergraduates and 14% of NC State's, pushing the real out-of-state rate below the headline number at both schools and especially at Carolina.

NC State wins decisively for engineering and edges ahead for computer science. Engineering claims about 24% of its bachelor's degrees, its single largest field, with computer and information sciences adding another 5% off a land-grant base in applied STEM. UNC-Chapel Hill runs no comparable engineering college; its degrees concentrate in the social sciences (17%) and biological sciences (12%), with computer science around 7%. An engineering-first or applied-computing student belongs at NC State.

On out-of-state sticker price NC State comes in lower, charging about $31,808 in tuition and fees against $45,228 at UNC-Chapel Hill, a roughly $13,000 yearly gap before aid. Carolina counters by meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need and posting a larger average need-based package (about $19,064) than NC State's roughly $14,720, which covers about 72% of need. In-state tuition stays low and close, around $7,760 at NC State and $9,096 at UNC, so a high-need resident finds the two much nearer than the out-of-state figures imply.

Their peaks land in different fields. NC State confers the most degrees in engineering (about 24%), business and marketing (17%), and the agricultural and life sciences. UNC-Chapel Hill tops out in the social sciences (about 17%) and the biological sciences (12%), then interdisciplinary studies, communication and journalism, business, and computer science. NC State packs into applied STEM and design, while UNC distributes across the liberal arts, sciences, and professional schools.

With about 28,400 undergraduates to UNC's roughly 21,100, NC State enrolls the larger class, yet both teach at a 15-to-1 student-faculty ratio and house nearly every first-year on campus. Location separates them more than headcount does: NC State sits inside Raleigh, the state capital and a Research Triangle tech hub, while UNC-Chapel Hill keeps to the smaller college town of Chapel Hill a short drive off. Both hold onto and graduate their students well, UNC at a 97% first-year retention and 91% six-year graduation rate, NC State at 93% and 80%.

Source: North Carolina State University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with NC State. Banner photo by Dennis Ludlow, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill. Banner photo by William Yeung, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).