UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNCW

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or University of North Carolina at Wilmington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNC Chapel Hill 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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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill vs. University of North Carolina at Wilmington comparison
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Wilmington College 3 College 4
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Wilmington
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Overview

UNC Chapel Hill UNCW
Location Chapel Hill, NC Wilmington, NC
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 31,705 17,843
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #377
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website unc.edu uncw.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNC Chapel Hill UNCW
Tuition (In State) $7,019 $4,443
Tuition (Out of State) $35,580 $19,063
Room & Board $12,254 $12,120
Avg Net Price $10,614 $18,709
Avg Grant Aid $18,066 $6,217
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 56%

Admission

UNC Chapel Hill UNCW
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 56,341 16,860
Admitted 9,639 11,605
Acceptance Rate 17.1% 68.8%
Enrolled % 46% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.56
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Difficult
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/34 24/29
SAT Range 1350/1530 1220/1370
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

UNC Chapel Hill UNCW
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

UNC Chapel Hill UNCW
Graduation Rate 89% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,100 $44,700
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,479 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $170 $211

Diversity

UNC Chapel Hill UNCW
% Men 40% 34%
% Women 60% 66%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 78%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 8% 7%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

UNC Chapel Hill UNCW
% In-State 83% 80%
% Out-of-State 12% 19%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than than UNCW based on total student enrollment (31,705 students vs. 17,843 students)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNCW Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Chapel Hill or UNCW?

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is 58% more expensive to attend than UNCW for in-state tuition ($7,019.00 vs. $4,443.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 86.6% higher at UNC Chapel Hill than University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($35,580.00 vs. $19,063.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than UNCW ($10,614 vs. $18,709)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Wilmington are 1.1% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($12,120 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Wilmington than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (56% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students is 190.6% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($18,066 vs. $6,217)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNCW Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1343) is 181 points higher than at UNCW (1162)
  • Incoming UNC Chapel Hill students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UNCW (25)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Chapel Hill students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at UNCW (3.56)
  • UNCW has a higher acceptance rate (68.8%) than UNC Chapel Hill (17.1%)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNCW Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Chapel Hill 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 UNC Chapel Hill.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Chapel Hill is higher than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (89% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn on average $21,400 more per year than UNCW graduates after ten years. ($66,100 vs. $44,700)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students graduate with a $4,021 lower median federal student loan debt than UNCW graduates. ($16,479 vs. $20,500)
  • UNC Chapel Hill graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than UNCW graduates. ($170 vs. $211)
  • More UNC Chapel Hill graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNCW students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 64%)

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