UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNC Charlotte vs. NC State vs. ECU

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or University of North Carolina at Charlotte? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNC Chapel Hill or UNC Charlotte 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 North Carolina at Charlotte vs. North Carolina State University at Raleigh vs. East Carolina University comparison
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Charlotte North Carolina State University at Raleigh East Carolina University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Charlotte North Carolina State University at Raleigh East Carolina University
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Overview

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
Location Chapel Hill, NC Charlotte, NC Raleigh, NC Greenville, NC
Setting Small City Large City Large City Small City
Enrollment 32,234 30,298 37,323 26,785
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #60 #547 #118 #587
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website unc.edu uncc.edu ncsu.edu ecu.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
Tuition (In State) $7,019 $3,812 $6,535 $4,452
Tuition (Out of State) $37,360 $18,474 $29,407 $20,729
Room & Board $13,016 $13,864 $13,719 $11,000
Avg Net Price $11,140 $13,768 $14,860 $14,470
Avg Grant Aid $15,365 $8,150 $11,811 $8,836
% Receiving Grant Aid 38% 58% 50% 57%

Admission

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
Applied 57,902 22,699 40,049 22,289
Admitted 10,850 18,208 15,958 20,073
Acceptance Rate 18.7% 80.2% 39.8% 50.1%
Enrolled % 43.3% 24.7% 35.9% 24.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.57 3.83 3.33
Typical High School Grades A- B+ A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging Very High Moderate
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/34 21/27 28/32 20/26
SAT Range 1370/1530 1110/1320 1300/1460 1050/1200
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jun 1, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 21:1 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Engineering (22%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
Graduation Rate 89% 53% 72% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,100 $48,600 $57,200 $43,900
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 61% 76% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,479 $23,000 $20,782 $24,788
Median Loan Payment $170 $237 $214 $256

Diversity

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
% Men 14% 8% 14% 6%
% Women 22% 13% 13% 14%
Racial Diversity Medium High Low Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 64% 60% 74% 69%
% Black 8% 17% 6% 16%
% Hispanic 8% 9% 5% 6%
% Native American 1% 0% 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4% 4% 3%
% International 2% 2% 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 3% 2% 2%

Students

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
% In-State 79% 90% 85% 82%
% Out-of-State 15% 8% 13% 17%

Campus

 UNC Chapel Hill UNC Charlotte NC State ECU
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes No No
Daycare Facility No No No No
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Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than than UNC Charlotte based on total student enrollment (32,234 students vs. 30,298 students)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNC Charlotte Cost Comparison

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

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is 84.1% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($7,019.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 102.2% higher at UNC Chapel Hill than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($37,360.00 vs. $18,474.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than UNC Charlotte ($11,140 vs. $13,768)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 6.5% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($13,016 vs. $13,864)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (58% vs. 38%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students is 88.5% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($15,365 vs. $8,150)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNC Charlotte Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1343) is 250 points higher than at UNC Charlotte (1093)
  • Incoming UNC Chapel Hill students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UNC Charlotte (24)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Chapel Hill students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at UNC Charlotte (3.57)
  • UNC Charlotte has a higher acceptance rate (80.2%) than UNC Chapel Hill (18.7%)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. UNC Charlotte Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UNC Chapel Hill is higher than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (89% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn on average $17,500 more per year than UNC Charlotte graduates after ten years. ($66,100 vs. $48,600)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students graduate with a $6,521 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($16,479 vs. $23,000)
  • UNC Chapel Hill graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($170 vs. $237)
  • More UNC Chapel Hill graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 61%)

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