UNC Charlotte vs. UNCW

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

UNC Charlotte UNCW
Location Charlotte, NC Wilmington, NC
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 29,551 17,843
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #562 #377
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncc.edu uncw.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNC Charlotte UNCW
Tuition (In State) $3,812 $4,443
Tuition (Out of State) $17,936 $19,063
Room & Board $12,896 $12,120
Avg Net Price $13,951 $18,709
Avg Grant Aid $7,907 $6,217
% Receiving Grant Aid 60% 56%

Admission

UNC Charlotte UNCW
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,355 16,860
Admitted 17,007 11,605
Acceptance Rate 79.6% 68.8%
Enrolled % 24.4% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/27 24/29
SAT Range 1070/1290 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 Jun 1, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

UNC Charlotte UNCW
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

UNC Charlotte UNCW
Graduation Rate 53% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $44,700
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $237 $211

Diversity

UNC Charlotte UNCW
% Men 49% 34%
% Women 51% 66%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 60% 78%
% Black 17% 5%
% Hispanic 9% 7%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

UNC Charlotte UNCW
% In-State 89% 80%
% Out-of-State 8% 19%

Campus

UNC Charlotte 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 Charlotte is larger than than UNCW based on total student enrollment (29,551 students vs. 17,843 students)

UNC Charlotte vs. UNCW Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Charlotte or UNCW?

  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington is 16.6% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($4,443.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.3% higher at UNCW than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($19,063.00 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 UNCW ($13,951 vs. $18,709)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Wilmington are 6.4% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($12,120 vs. $12,896)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (60% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of North Carolina at Charlotte students is 27.2% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($7,907 vs. $6,217)

UNC Charlotte vs. UNCW Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Wilmington (1162) is 69 points higher than at UNC Charlotte (1093)
  • Incoming UNCW students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at UNC Charlotte (24)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Charlotte students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at UNCW (3.56)
  • UNC Charlotte has a higher acceptance rate (79.6%) than UNCW (68.8%)

UNC Charlotte vs. UNCW Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Charlotte 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 Charlotte.

  • The graduation rate at UNCW is higher than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (67% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Charlotte earn on average $3,900 more per year than UNCW graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $44,700)
  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($20,500 vs. $23,000)
  • UNCW graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($211 vs. $237)
  • More UNCW graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 61%)

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