UNC Chapel Hill acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Public · Chapel Hill, NC · 20,681 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
UNC Chapel Hill admitted 18.7% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 27.6% in 2013. North Carolina residents pay $9,095 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $45,228.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 27.6% | 28,437 | 7,847 |
| 2014 | 28.5% | 31,332 | 8,929 |
| 2015 | 30.5% | 31,143 | 9,510 |
| 2016 | 26.9% | 34,889 | 9,400 |
| 2017 | 24.4% | 39,650 | 9,673 |
| 2018 | 22.7% | 41,939 | 9,525 |
| 2019 | 22.6% | 42,465 | 9,610 |
| 2020 | 25.0% | 41,773 | 10,445 |
| 2021 | 20.4% | 50,729 | 10,348 |
| 2022 | 17.1% | 56,341 | 9,639 |
| 2023 | 18.7% | 57,902 | 10,850 |
Applications went from 28,437 in fall 2013 to 57,902 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 | $2,212 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $2,989 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,761 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $12,883 |
| Over $110,000 | $24,276 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $9,095 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $45,228 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $26,949 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $11,305 |
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: 29% submitted the SAT, 34% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
What the numbers say
UNC Chapel Hill took 18.7% of its 57,902 fall 2023 applicants.1 Back in 2013 the figure stood at 27.6%, a fall of 8.9 percentage points over the decade.1 Year to year, the rate moved lower in 6 of 10 comparisons.1 Applications grew far faster than admissions: they rose 104% while admitted students rose 38%, reaching 10,850 in 2023.1
Tests are optional here, and the middle 50% of SAT reading and writing scores ran from 680 to 750 in 2023.1 ACT composite scores for the same group ran from 30 to 34.1
North Carolina residents pay $9,095 in tuition and fees for 2025-26, and out-of-state students pay $45,228.2 The in-state price is above the $7,292 median for the 16 public bachelor's colleges in North Carolina.2 Net price climbs steeply with income: $2,212 for families earning $0 to $30,000, $12,883 for $75,001 to $110,000, and $24,276 above $110,000 in 2024-25.2
Among 2019 entrants, 91% earned a degree within 6 years, and the state median across 56 bachelor's colleges is 47%.2 Former students earned a median of $81,094 at 10 years after entry, measured in 2022-23.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 57,902 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 10,850 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 4,699 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 20,681 | 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 | 680 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 750 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 690 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 780 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 30 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 29% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 34% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $9,095 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $45,228 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $26,949 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $11,305 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $2,212 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $2,989 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,761 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $12,883 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $24,276 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 91% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 97% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 21% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $81,094 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $12,086 | 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 UNC Chapel Hill, 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