Elon University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Greensboro, North Carolina · Public · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
Elon University is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina that admits about 46% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $10,980 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Psychology, General and Communication and Media Studies, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 57% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.5 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Elon University is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Elon University admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 46%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1048 and an ACT composite around 19. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $10,980 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Elon University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Elon University?
Admitted students at Elon University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Elon University weight in admissions?
Elon University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • State residency
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Elon University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 470–580, with an EBRW midpoint near 545. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 16–22. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1020 |
| 50th percentile | 1100 |
| 75th percentile | 1180 |
| % submitting SAT | 19% |
| 25th percentile | 17 |
| 50th percentile | 20 |
| 75th percentile | 23 |
| % submitting ACT | 20% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 1% |
| Top 25% of class | 4% |
| Top 50% of class | 17% |
| % submitting class rank | 31% |
How much does Elon University actually cost?
Published tuition is $6,748 for in-state students and $20,408 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $8,832 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $10,980 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 51% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $3,540 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $17,050 |
| Room and board | $8,397 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $10,980 |
| Application fee | $60 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Elon University
| Regular deadline | 6/1 |
| Notification date | 11/1 |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
Will my child graduate from Elon University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Elon University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Elon University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Psychology, General and Communication and Media Studies. Across all programs, Elon University confers roughly 981 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program report a median income of about $42,025 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 162 | $42,025 |
| Psychology, General | 157 | $39,571 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 145 | $47,049 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 120 | $38,460 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 117 | $60,082 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 110 | $45,469 |
| Biology, General | 87 | $48,308 |
| Animal Sciences | 83 | $48,691 |
Is Elon University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Elon University disclosed 55 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.5 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 10 violent offenses and 5 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Elon University?
About 27% of undergraduates at Elon University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in North Carolina parents ask about
- Duke University19% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill40% acceptance
- Wake Forest University88% acceptance
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh29% acceptance
- Appalachian State University7% acceptance
- East Carolina University94% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte74% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro80% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Elon University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Elon University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Elon University
What GPA do I need for Elon University?
Admitted students at Elon University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Elon University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 470–580, with an EBRW midpoint near 545. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 16–22.
How much does Elon University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Elon University after grants and scholarships is $10,980 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Elon University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Elon University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Elon University?
Elon University accepts about 46% of applicants out of roughly 36,499 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.
Is Elon University test-optional?
No. Elon University requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
What is the graduation rate at Elon University?
About 57% of students at Elon University graduate within six years. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Elon University look for in applicants?
Elon University rates GPA and test scores as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Elon University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Elon University is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina.
What are the most popular majors at Elon University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Elon University by annual graduates are Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Psychology, General and Communication and Media Studies. The school awards about 981 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Elon University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Elon University reported 55 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.5 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Elon University?
At Elon University, 27% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Elon University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.