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 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.
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.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.