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#4 Best Public Universities in North Carolina

UNCW Admission Requirements

Wilmington, North Carolina

 3 Reviews

Chances of getting into University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
68%
Admission Difficulty for University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Difficult 
Applicant Competition Low 
How hard is it to get into UNCW and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at UNCW is 68%.  It ranks #21 in North Carolina for lowest rate of acceptance. UNCW is a moderately competitive school to get into with a strong chance of acceptance if you meet the requirements. Last year, 10,736 out of 15,792 applicants were admitted.

The school has difficult admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 25 percent on standardized admission tests. University of North Carolina at Wilmington typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.56. Most incoming freshmen graduate in the top half of their high school class. 23% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

The UNCW application fee is $80 and applications are due by Feb 1.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to University of North Carolina at Wilmington. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 8% of students submitted SAT scores and 19% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

UNCW SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1210-1330
Applicants Submitting SAT 
8%
SAT Scores for University of North Carolina at Wilmington
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 610
SAT Math 25th 600
SAT Composite 25th 1210
SAT Scores for University of North Carolina at Wilmington
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 670
SAT Math 75th 660
SAT Composite 75th 1330
Average SAT Score 1270

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to University of North Carolina at Wilmington?

University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into University of North Carolina at Wilmington score in the top 23 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1210-1330.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

University of North Carolina at Wilmington admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1330 and Above Good >80%
1270 to 1330 Avg + 68%-80%
1210 to 1270 Avg - 53%-68%
1150 to 1210 Reach 37%-53%
Less than 1150 Low <37%
Calculate My Chances 
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UNCW ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
24-28 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
19%
ACT Scores for University of North Carolina at Wilmington
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 22
ACT Math 25th 24
ACT Composite 25th 24
ACT Scores for University of North Carolina at Wilmington
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 28
ACT Math 75th 27
ACT Composite 75th 28
Average ACT Score 26

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into UNCW?

University of North Carolina at Wilmington is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

UNCW regularly accepts students who score 24 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 27 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 24-28.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

University of North Carolina at Wilmington admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
28 and Above Good >80%
26 to 28 Avg + 68%-80%
24 to 26 Avg - 53%-68%
22 to 24 Reach 37%-53%
Less than 22 Low <37%
Calculate My Chances 

UNCW GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.56*
Typical High School Grades 
B+

What GPA do you need to get into University of North Carolina at Wilmington?

Applicants require very good grades in high school to get into UNCW. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at University of North Carolina at Wilmington was 3.56 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #16 in North Carolina for highest average GPA. If your high school GPA meets these requirements, there is a good chance you will be accepted as UNCW accepts 68% of students who apply.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

High School GPA's for admitted University of North Carolina at Wilmington students
High School GPA Freshmen Within Range Competitiveness 
4.0 59.0% Avg +
3.75 to 3.99 24.8% Avg -
3.50 to 3.74 12.0% Reach
3.25 to 3.49 2.6% Reach
3.00 to 3.24 1.2% Reach
2.50 to 2.99 0.4% Low
2.00 to 2.49 0% Low
1.00 to 1.99 0% Low
less than 1.00 0% Low

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.56 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

High School Class Rank

92% of University of North Carolina at Wilmington freshman were in the top half of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted University of North Carolina at Wilmington students
High School Class Rank Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class 15%
Top 25% of class 43%
Top 50% of class 92%
Data Source, Peterson's Data

Applying

Admission Statistics

University of North Carolina at Wilmington admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 10,217 5,575 15,792
Accepted 7,352 3,384 10,736
Acceptance Rate 72% 61% 68%
Enrolled 1,636 799 2,435
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 22% 24% 23%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications were Due
Feb 1, 2023
Days left to Apply
None

The application deadline for Fall 2023 has passed. Applications were due on Feb 1, 2023.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $80.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to University of North Carolina at Wilmington and what student information is used for admission decisions?

University of North Carolina at Wilmington Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program Recommended
Recommendations Required
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at University of North Carolina at Wilmington
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=199218 IPEDS survey data for University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

FAQs

Does University of North Carolina at Wilmington prefer SAT or ACT?

8% of students submit their SAT scores to UNCW. 19% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into University of North Carolina at Wilmington?

68% of those who apply are granted admission to UNCW. Admission competition is low and the college has difficult admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for University of North Carolina at Wilmington?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1210 and 1330. 8% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for University of North Carolina at Wilmington?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 24 and 28. 19% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.