UNC Chapel Hill vs. UVA

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

 UNC Chapel Hill UVA
Location Chapel Hill, NC Charlottesville, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 31,705 26,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #59
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website unc.edu virginia.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNC Chapel Hill UVA
Tuition (In State) $7,019 $16,980
Tuition (Out of State) $35,580 $51,870
Room & Board $12,254 $12,890
Avg Net Price $10,614 $19,469
Avg Grant Aid $18,066 $26,818
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 34%

Admission

 UNC Chapel Hill UVA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 56,341 50,926
Admitted 9,639 9,503
Acceptance Rate 17.1% 18.7%
Enrolled % 46% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.85
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 30/34 32/34
SAT Range 1350/1530 1400/1540
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

Academics

 UNC Chapel Hill UVA
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 UNC Chapel Hill UVA
Graduation Rate 89% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,100 $77,200
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,479 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $170 $201

Diversity

 UNC Chapel Hill UVA
% Men 40% 45%
% Women 60% 55%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 64% 60%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 6%

Students

 UNC Chapel Hill UVA
% In-State 83% 62%
% Out-of-State 12% 33%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than than UVA based on total student enrollment (31,705 students vs. 26,082 students)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UVA Cost Comparison

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

  • University of Virginia Main Campus is 141.9% more expensive to attend than UNC Chapel Hill for in-state tuition ($16,980.00 vs. $7,019.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.8% higher at UVA than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($51,870.00 vs. $35,580.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than UVA ($10,614 vs. $19,469)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 5.2% lower than costs at University of Virginia Main Campus ($12,254 vs. $12,890)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than University of Virginia Main Campus (40% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Virginia Main Campus students is 48.4% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($26,818 vs. $18,066)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UVA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Virginia Main Campus (1364) is 21 points higher than at UNC Chapel Hill (1343)
  • Incoming UNC Chapel Hill students have at the same average ACT score (31) as students at UVA (31)
  • Accepted freshman UVA students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.85) than students at UNC Chapel Hill (3.83)
  • UVA has a higher acceptance rate (18.7%) than UNC Chapel Hill (17.1%)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UVA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Chapel Hill or UVA? 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 UVA and UNC Chapel Hill.

  • The graduation rate at UVA is higher than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (94% vs. 89%)
  • Graduates from University of Virginia Main Campus earn on average $11,100 more per year than UNC Chapel Hill graduates after ten years. ($77,200 vs. $66,100)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students graduate with a $3,021 lower median federal student loan debt than UVA graduates. ($16,479 vs. $19,500)
  • UNC Chapel Hill graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than UVA graduates. ($170 vs. $201)
  • More UVA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Chapel Hill students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 82%)

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