UNCW vs. UH

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Wilmington or University of Houston? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNCW or UH 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

ASU UT Dallas UNT Texas Tech UNC Charlotte UNC Chapel Hill UT Arlington ECU UT Austin UTSA Texas A&M Texas State
University of North Carolina at Wilmington vs. University of Houston comparison
University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of Houston College 3 College 4
University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of Houston
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UNCW UH
Location Wilmington, NC Houston, TX
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 18,030 47,031
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #361 #417
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncw.edu uh.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNCW UH
Tuition (In State) $4,443 $8,685
Tuition (Out of State) $18,508 $20,877
Room & Board $11,346 $9,962
Avg Net Price $17,946 $14,480
Avg Grant Aid $6,579 $8,693
% Receiving Grant Aid 67% 93%

Admission

UNCW UH
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,792 29,721
Admitted 10,736 19,474
Acceptance Rate 68% 65.5%
Enrolled % 22.7% 27.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.46
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 24/28 23/28
SAT Range 1210/1330 1140/1330
Submit Test Scores Considered but not required Considered but not required
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2024 May 31, 2024

Academics

UNCW UH
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

UNCW UH
Graduation Rate 67% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,700 $59,000
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $19,750
Median Loan Payment $211 $204

Diversity

UNCW UH
% Men 34% 48%
% Women 66% 52%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 78% 26%
% Black 5% 10%
% Hispanic 7% 32%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

UNCW UH
% In-State 82% 96%
% Out-of-State 17% 2%

Campus

UNCW UH
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Houston is larger than than UNCW based on total student enrollment (47,031 students vs. 18,030 students)

UNCW vs. UH Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNCW or UH?

  • University of Houston is 95.5% more expensive to attend than UNCW for in-state tuition ($8,685.00 vs. $4,443.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.8% higher at UH than University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($20,877.00 vs. $18,508.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Houston than UNCW ($14,480 vs. $17,946)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston are 13.9% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($9,962 vs. $11,346)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Houston than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (93% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Houston students is 32.1% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($8,693 vs. $6,579)

UNCW vs. UH Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Wilmington (1162) is 8 points higher than at UH (1154)
  • Incoming UH students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UNCW (25)
  • Accepted freshman UNCW students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at UH (3.46)
  • UNCW has a higher acceptance rate (68%) than UH (65.5%)

UNCW vs. UH Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNCW or UH? 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 UH and UNCW.

  • The graduation rate at UNCW is higher than University of Houston (67% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from University of Houston earn on average $14,300 more per year than UNCW graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $44,700)
  • University of Houston students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than UNCW graduates. ($19,750 vs. $20,500)
  • UH graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than UNCW graduates. ($204 vs. $211)
  • More UNCW graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UH 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/