ECU vs. UNC Charlotte

Should I go to East Carolina University or University of North Carolina at Charlotte? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ECU or UNC Charlotte is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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East Carolina University vs. University of North Carolina at Charlotte comparison
East Carolina University University of North Carolina at Charlotte College 3 College 4
East Carolina University University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Overview

ECU UNC Charlotte
Location Greenville, NC Charlotte, NC
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 27,151 29,551
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #673 #562
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ecu.edu uncc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ECU UNC Charlotte
Tuition (In State) $4,452 $3,812
Tuition (Out of State) $20,729 $17,936
Room & Board $10,816 $12,896
Avg Net Price $14,410 $13,951
Avg Grant Aid $9,020 $7,907
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 60%

Admission

ECU UNC Charlotte
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,383 21,355
Admitted 19,744 17,007
Acceptance Rate 92.3% 79.6%
Enrolled % 19.2% 24.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/24 20/27
SAT Range 1020/1170 1070/1290
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jun 1, 2025

Academics

ECU UNC Charlotte
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

ECU UNC Charlotte
Graduation Rate 59% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,788 $23,000
Median Loan Payment $256 $237

Diversity

ECU UNC Charlotte
% Men 40% 49%
% Women 60% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 60%
% Black 16% 17%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

ECU UNC Charlotte
% In-State 83% 89%
% Out-of-State 15% 8%

Campus

ECU UNC Charlotte
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte is larger than than ECU based on total student enrollment (29,551 students vs. 27,151 students)

ECU vs. UNC Charlotte Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECU or UNC Charlotte?

  • East Carolina University is 16.8% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($4,452.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.6% higher at ECU than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($20,729.00 vs. $17,936.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than ECU ($13,951 vs. $14,410)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Carolina University are 19.2% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($10,816 vs. $12,896)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than East Carolina University (60% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by East Carolina University students is 14.1% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($9,020 vs. $7,907)

ECU vs. UNC Charlotte Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ECU or UNC Charlotte? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UNC Charlotte or ECU .

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1093) is 40 points higher than at ECU (1053)
  • Incoming UNC Charlotte students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at ECU (23)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Charlotte students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at ECU (3.33)
  • ECU has a higher acceptance rate (92.3%) than UNC Charlotte (79.6%)

ECU vs. UNC Charlotte Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECU or UNC Charlotte? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UNC Charlotte and ECU.

  • The graduation rate at ECU is higher than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (59% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Charlotte earn on average $4,700 more per year than ECU graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $43,900)
  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte students graduate with a $1,788 lower median federal student loan debt than ECU graduates. ($23,000 vs. $24,788)
  • UNC Charlotte graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than ECU graduates. ($237 vs. $256)
  • More ECU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 61%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/