NC State acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Public · Raleigh, NC · 27,323 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
NC State admitted 39.8% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 50.0% in 2013. North Carolina residents pay $8,815 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $33,780.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 50.0% | 20,700 | 10,353 |
| 2014 | 51.6% | 20,443 | 10,548 |
| 2015 | 50.4% | 21,364 | 10,774 |
| 2016 | 47.5% | 26,451 | 12,568 |
| 2017 | 51.4% | 26,980 | 13,856 |
| 2018 | 46.9% | 30,350 | 14,219 |
| 2019 | 45.1% | 31,130 | 14,050 |
| 2020 | 46.2% | 31,487 | 14,553 |
| 2021 | 47.5% | 32,998 | 15,669 |
| 2022 | 47.2% | 35,568 | 16,779 |
| 2023 | 39.8% | 40,049 | 15,958 |
Applications went from 20,700 in fall 2013 to 40,049 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $6,149 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $6,914 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $10,322 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,201 |
| Over $110,000 | $25,674 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $8,815 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $33,780 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $27,073 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $16,486 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 21% submitted the SAT, 28% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| NC A&T NC | 46.2% | $6,813 in-state |
| UNC Chapel Hill NC | 18.7% | $9,095 in-state |
| UNCW NC | 74.0% | $7,266 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
NC State admitted 15,958 of 40,049 applicants in fall 2023, which works out to an admit rate of 39.8%.1 The rate was 50.0% in fall 2013, and it has fallen 10.2 percentage points since.1 It moved down in 6 of the 10 yearly changes and held between 45.1% and 51.6% until the latest fall.1 Applications grew 93% over the span while admitted students grew 54%, a gap that accounts for the lower rate.1
Scores are optional. About 28% of entrants submitted ACT scores with a middle 50% of 28 to 32, and 21% submitted SAT scores, whose math middle 50% was 660 to 740.1
North Carolina residents are charged $8,815 in tuition and fees for 2025-26, while students from elsewhere are charged $33,780.2 State public colleges have a median in-state price of $7,292 (16 bachelor's colleges), so NC State's $8,815 sits higher.2 Families earning over $110,000 averaged a net price of $25,674 in 2024-25, while those earning $0 to $30,000 averaged $6,149 and those at $48,001 to $75,000 averaged $10,322.2
A total of 85% of 2019 entrants graduated within 6 years, compared with a 47% median across 56 colleges in North Carolina.2 NC State retained 94% of its fall 2023 entrants. Its former students earned a median of $77,810 at 10 years after entry, and federal borrowers had a median debt of $19,500.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 40,049 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 15,958 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 5,728 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 27,323 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 640 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 720 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 660 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 28 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 32 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 21% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 28% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $8,815 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $33,780 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $27,073 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $16,486 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $6,149 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $6,914 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $10,322 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,201 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $25,674 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 85% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 94% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 23% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $77,810 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $19,500 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, North Carolina (N = 16) | $7,292 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, North Carolina (N = 56) | 47% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with NC State, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page