University of North Carolina at Charlotte: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Wilmington, North Carolina · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public university in Wilmington, North Carolina that admits about 74% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $19,472 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Communication and Media Studies, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 71% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Wilmington, North Carolina with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of North Carolina at Charlotte admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 74%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1262 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,472 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte weight in admissions?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Class rank
- • Character/personal qualities
- • State residency
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Talent/ability
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Interview
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores University of North Carolina at Charlotte typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 600–670, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–28. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1230 |
| 50th percentile | 1280 |
| 75th percentile | 1340 |
| % submitting SAT | 5% |
| 25th percentile | 24 |
| 50th percentile | 27 |
| 75th percentile | 29 |
| % submitting ACT | 12% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
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 | 15.7% |
| Top 25% of class | 49.4% |
| Top 50% of class | 86.8% |
| % submitting class rank | 81.3% |
How much does University of North Carolina at Charlotte actually cost?
Published tuition is $7,317 for in-state students and $22,985 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,605 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $19,472 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 24% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $4,443 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $21,318 |
| Room and board | $14,268 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $19,472 |
| Application fee | $80 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| Regular deadline | February 1 |
| Notification date | March 15 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Communication and Media Studies. Across all programs, University of North Carolina at Charlotte confers roughly 2,469 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $79,949 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 739 | $79,949 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 666 | $75,102 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 210 | $53,772 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 209 | $45,632 |
| Psychology, General | 208 | $46,831 |
| Biology, General | 185 | $58,157 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 132 | $45,395 |
| Public Health | 120 | $53,609 |
Is University of North Carolina at Charlotte safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of North Carolina at Charlotte disclosed 39 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 5 violent offenses and 18 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
About 34% of undergraduates at University of North Carolina at Charlotte live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 6% of men join a fraternity and 11% of women join a sorority. 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 Greensboro80% acceptance
- Davidson College64% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte
What GPA do I need for University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does University of North Carolina at Charlotte typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 600–670, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–28.
How much does University of North Carolina at Charlotte actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of North Carolina at Charlotte after grants and scholarships is $19,472 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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, University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte accepts about 74% of applicants out of roughly 20,393 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is University of North Carolina at Charlotte test-optional?
Yes. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
About 71% of students at University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduate within six years, and 56% finish in four years. 88% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of North Carolina at Charlotte look for in applicants?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte rates course rigor, GPA, the application essay and extracurricular activities as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of North Carolina at Charlotte a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Wilmington, North Carolina.
What are the most popular majors at University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of North Carolina at Charlotte by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Communication and Media Studies. The school awards about 2,469 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of North Carolina at Charlotte safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of North Carolina at Charlotte reported 39 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.6 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
At University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 34% of undergraduates live on campus, 6% of men are in fraternities, 11% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 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.