USAFA vs. UNC Chapel Hill

Deciding between United States Air Force Academy and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

United States Air Force Academy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • USAFA USAF Academy, Colorado
  • UNC Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
  • Setting
  • USAFA Large City
  • UNC Chapel Hill Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • USAFA 4,114
  • UNC Chapel Hill 32,438
  • Type
  • USAFA Public 4 Year
  • UNC Chapel Hill Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • USAFA
  • UNC Chapel Hill #59
  • Religious Affiliation
  • USAFA -
  • UNC Chapel Hill -
  • Status
  • USAFA Non-profit
  • UNC Chapel Hill Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • USAFA
  • UNC Chapel Hill

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UNC Chapel Hill $8,994
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UNC Chapel Hill $41,203
  • Room & Board
  • USAFA $0
  • UNC Chapel Hill $13,804
  • Average Net Price
  • USAFA -
  • UNC Chapel Hill $10,154
  • Average Grant Aid
  • USAFA $0
  • UNC Chapel Hill $17,814
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 38%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • USAFA 10,187
  • UNC Chapel Hill 66,535
  • Admitted
  • USAFA 1,435
  • UNC Chapel Hill 10,209
  • Acceptance Rate
  • USAFA 14.1%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 15.3%
  • Enrolled
  • USAFA 78.5%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 45.5%
  • Typical SAT score
  • USAFA 1340
  • UNC Chapel Hill 1460
  • Typical ACT score
  • USAFA 29
  • UNC Chapel Hill 31
  • Average High School GPA
  • USAFA 3.81
  • UNC Chapel Hill 3.83
  • Typical High School Grades
  • USAFA A-
  • UNC Chapel Hill A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • USAFA Very High
  • UNC Chapel Hill Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • USAFA Very High
  • UNC Chapel Hill Very High
  • ACT Range
  • USAFA 26/33
  • UNC Chapel Hill 28/34
  • SAT Range
  • USAFA 1230/1440
  • UNC Chapel Hill 1390/1530
  • Submit Test Scores
  • USAFA Required
  • UNC Chapel Hill Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • USAFA Dec 31, 2026
  • UNC Chapel Hill Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • USAFA 7:1
  • UNC Chapel Hill 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • USAFA
    • Engineering (35%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • General Studies (14%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • UNC Chapel Hill
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Communication (11%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Business (8%)
    • Psychology (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • USAFA -
  • UNC Chapel Hill 89%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • USAFA N/A
  • UNC Chapel Hill $66,100
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • USAFA -
  • UNC Chapel Hill 82%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • USAFA N/A
  • UNC Chapel Hill $16,479
  • Median Loan Payment
  • USAFA N/A
  • UNC Chapel Hill $170

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • USAFA 70%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 40%
  • % Women
  • USAFA 30%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 60%
  • Racial Diversity
  • USAFA -
  • UNC Chapel Hill Medium
  • HBCU
  • USAFA No
  • UNC Chapel Hill No
  • % White
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 64%
  • % Asian
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 10%
  • % Black
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 8%
  • % Hispanic
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 8%
  • % Native American
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 4%
  • % International
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • USAFA 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • USAFA 6%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 84%
  • % Out-of-State
  • USAFA 91%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 11%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • USAFA Yes
  • UNC Chapel Hill Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • USAFA Yes
  • UNC Chapel Hill No
  • Meal Plan
  • USAFA Yes
  • UNC Chapel Hill Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • USAFA No
  • UNC Chapel Hill Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • USAFA No
  • UNC Chapel Hill No

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Air Force Academy in USAF Academy, Colorado with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than USAFA based on total student enrollment (32,438 students vs. 4,114 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • United States Air Force Academy is located in USAF Academy, Colorado (Large City setting); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is in Chapel Hill, NC (Small City setting).
  • United States Air Force Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: United States Air Force Academy 7:1; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 15:1.

USAFA vs. UNC Chapel Hill Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USAFA or UNC Chapel Hill? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and USAFA ($8,994.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between UNC Chapel Hill and United States Air Force Academy ($41,203.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than at United States Air Force Academy (38% vs. 0%).

USAFA vs. UNC Chapel Hill Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USAFA or UNC Chapel Hill? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between UNC Chapel Hill and USAFA.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1460) is 120 points higher than at USAFA (1340).
  • Incoming UNC Chapel Hill students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (31 vs. 29 at USAFA).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Air Force Academy 1230/1440; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1390/1530.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Air Force Academy 26/33; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 28/34.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: USAFA - Required; UNC Chapel Hill - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: USAFA Dec 31, 2026; UNC Chapel Hill Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman UNC Chapel Hill students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at USAFA (3.81).
  • UNC Chapel Hill has a higher acceptance rate (15.3%) than USAFA (14.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 78.5% at USAFA vs. 45.5% at UNC Chapel Hill.

USAFA vs. UNC Chapel Hill Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for USAFA and UNC Chapel Hill? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.