ECU vs. UNCW

Should I go to East Carolina University or University of North Carolina at Wilmington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ECU or UNCW 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 Wilmington comparison
East Carolina University University of North Carolina at Wilmington College 3 College 4
East Carolina University University of North Carolina at Wilmington
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Overview

ECU UNCW
Location Greenville, NC Wilmington, NC
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 27,151 17,843
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #673 #377
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ecu.edu uncw.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ECU UNCW
Tuition (In State) $4,452 $4,443
Tuition (Out of State) $20,729 $19,063
Room & Board $10,816 $12,120
Avg Net Price $14,410 $18,709
Avg Grant Aid $9,020 $6,217
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 56%

Admission

ECU UNCW
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,383 16,860
Admitted 19,744 11,605
Acceptance Rate 92.3% 68.8%
Enrolled % 19.2% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/24 24/29
SAT Range 1020/1170 1220/1370
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

ECU UNCW
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

ECU UNCW
Graduation Rate 59% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $44,700
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,788 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $256 $211

Diversity

ECU UNCW
% Men 40% 34%
% Women 60% 66%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 78%
% Black 16% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

ECU UNCW
% In-State 83% 80%
% Out-of-State 15% 19%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • East Carolina University is larger than than UNCW based on total student enrollment (27,151 students vs. 17,843 students)

ECU vs. UNCW Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECU or UNCW?

  • East Carolina University is 0.2% more expensive to attend than UNCW for in-state tuition ($4,452.00 vs. $4,443.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.7% higher at ECU than University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($20,729.00 vs. $19,063.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at East Carolina University than UNCW ($14,410 vs. $18,709)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Carolina University are 12.1% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($10,816 vs. $12,120)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at East Carolina University than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (59% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by East Carolina University students is 45.1% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($9,020 vs. $6,217)

ECU vs. UNCW Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Wilmington (1162) is 109 points higher than at ECU (1053)
  • Incoming UNCW students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at ECU (23)
  • Accepted freshman UNCW students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at ECU (3.33)
  • ECU has a higher acceptance rate (92.3%) than UNCW (68.8%)

ECU vs. UNCW Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECU or UNCW? 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 UNCW and ECU.

  • The graduation rate at UNCW is higher than East Carolina University (67% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Wilmington earn on average $800 more per year than ECU graduates after ten years. ($44,700 vs. $43,900)
  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington students graduate with a $4,288 lower median federal student loan debt than ECU graduates. ($20,500 vs. $24,788)
  • UNCW graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than ECU graduates. ($211 vs. $256)
  • More UNCW graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECU students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 63%)

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