The University of North Carolina (UNC) is an excellent school… or rather, an excellent system of schools. Today, we’ll look at how to get into UNC, with a profile of UNC SAT scores, UNC ACT scores, and UNC admissions requirements
The University of North Carolina, as I mentioned, a set of 16 campuses within the state of North Carolina. The jewel of the system is, without question, UNC-Chapel Hill. Within the state of North Carolina, UNC-Chapel Hill holds the number two university rank, second only to Duke. And in US News and World report’s national rankings, UNC is in the 98th percentile of the 1,829 ranked American schools, at #28 for national universities.
Needless to say, the question of how to get into UNC has a unique answer for this especially elite UNC campus. As you can imagine, Chapel Hill has the highest UNC admissions standards. And to be sure, how to get into UNC varies, depending on which UNC school you hope to attend.
A full list of UNC’s campuses can be found here. For this article, we’ll focus on the five UNC schools that are classified as national universities in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings. These schools are: UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Carlotte, East Carolina University, and North Carolina State University. For the matter of how to get into UNC, this article will focus on these top-ranked campuses and their UNC admissions criteria.
Let’s look at a snapshot of how to get into UNC at each of these top 5 UNC schools. The table below lists the various UNC SAT scores, UNC ACT scores, GPA requirements, and acceptance rate. Each school’s US News and World Report national rank is also listed.
(Note: All data in this table about how to get into UNC, including UNC SAT scores and UNC ACT scores, comes either from US News and World Report, the National Association of College Admissions Counseling or the universities themselves.)
| CAMPUS | UNC SAT Scores (New SAT) | UNC ACT Scores | UNC GPA Requirements | UNC Acceptance Rates | UNC National Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC-Chapel Hill | 1300-1490 (middle 50%) | 27-33 (middle 50%) | 4.77 weighted (average) | 23% | 28 |
| North Carolina State University | 1344 (average) | 29.65 (average) | 3.83 unweighted, 4.28 weighted (average) | 44% | 80 |
| UNC-Asheville | 1090-1270 (middle 50%) | 22-27 (middle 50%) | 3.2-3.7 unweighted (middle 50%) | 84% | 140 |
| UNC-Charlotte | 1120-1290 (middle 50%) | 22-26 (middle 50%) | 3.3-3.8 unweighted, 3.7-4.3 weighted (middle 50%) | 65% | 227 |
| East Carolina University | 1030-1190 (middle 50%) | 19-24 (middle 50%) | 3.0-3.6 unweighted (middle 50%) | 79% | 217 |
So let’s talk a little bit about the deeper meaning of the UNC SAT scores in the table above (note that the info for SAT is more complicated than the UNC ACT scores!). You may notice that not every school posts either average or mid-range scores, without any UNC admissions office explicitly stating minimum UNC SAT scores.
This does not mean that there is no minimum SAT score at these schools, however. In fact, every single UNC campus has a minimum score. Remember, these are state-run schools. This means that even when a UNC campus doesn’t set its own minimum, it still has to follow the minimum standards for the statewide system. And the minimum statewide UNC SAT scores are 1010 for SAT. See this link for details. (This link also includes state minimums for UNC ACT scores, as well as other helpful information.)
While most of the campuses in the table above don’t have their own local minimum UNC SAT scores, it’s worth noting that all of the UNC Admission offices have a middle range or average accepted score significantly above those state minimums.
In any case, you definitely don’t need the perfect SAT score to get into any of the UNC schools. But for the schools that post middle 50% ranges for UNC SAT scores instead of minimums, is it possible to get accepted with an SAT score that’s below mid-range? Absolutely! These schools look at the “big picture” of your application. If other aspects of your application such as extracurriculars, reference letters, GPA, etc. are strong, a lower-end SAT score may still be acceptable. You’ll still need to get at least a 1010 on the SAT to attend though. The state regulations on UNC SAT scores are firm, even if individual schools are flexible regarding UNC admissions!
UNC ACT Scores, like their counterpart UNC SAT scores, are subject to the state minimums. In the case of ACT, no UNC campus can accept a student whose score is below 19; this is the immutable rule for UNC admissions when it comes to your ACT results.
As with UNC SAT scores, we see a preferred range or preferred average at all UNC campuses. Most schools in the system use the middle 50% ACT score range for accepted students when they set their UNC admissions preferences.
Once again, you don’t need a perfect ACT score. You can certainly get a score below mid-range and still be considered for acceptance. Some people with less than 28 on the ACT are accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill, in spite of its preferences for 28+ UNC SAT scores. Remember though, below a 19 is too low by any UNC admissions standard on any campus.
Keep in mind that UNC also takes ACT superscores into consideration, so you may want to consider taking the test multiple times!
The average GPA scores and ranges you see in the table above are subject to the statewide UNC admissions minimums, just like UNC SAT scores, and UNC ACT scores. You can possibly get in with a GPA below that of the average accepted student. You’re only absolutely ineligible if you drop below the state minimum of 2.5.
Another important note on GPAs: in the chart above, note that UNC’s various campuses may list expectations for weighted GPA, unweighted GPA, or both. Most high schools use unweighted GPAs, but some high schools weight their GPAs. Weighted GPAs are “curved,” taking the difficulty of a given course into account. Such weighted GPAs usually have a 0-5.0 scale. We won’t really look at curved GPAs in this post since they’re not common. But if your GPA is weighted, I have good news. Most UNC schools post their requirements for weighted GPA on their websites. And the ones that don’t still do have weighted GPA standards that you can get by contacting the admissions office.
Not sure what your GPA is? Use our GPA Calculator to help you figure it out!
I’ve already told you that UNC looks at the “whole picture” when considering applications; they don’t just look at UNC ACT scores, or just focus on SAT performance, for example. But even if your UNC ACT scores or SAT scores are great, you may be wondering if you look like the “picture” UNC wants to see. How much do you resemble a typical UNC freshman? Well, let’s look at the UNC freshman profile.
Every UNC campus has its own unique freshman profile, one that extends far beyond UNC ACT scores or SAT scores. But rather than looking at each of the top 5 ranked UNC schools, it may be useful to just look at the most competitive one. UNC-Chapel Hill, with its 23% acceptance rate, is the hardest UNC school to get into. If you match what they’re looking for, you will likely be a competitive applicant anywhere in the UNC system. Needless to say, Chapel Hill’s high standards have some interesting implications for UNC admissions.
“Test scores and GPA are important, but UNC-Chapel Hill emphasizes that they review applications holistically. There are no formulas, cutoffs, or thresholds. The goal is to find intelligent, motivated students with a variety of talents and strengths who will actively enhance the Chapel Hill community.
To demonstrate that you’re one of these students, it’s important to emphasize quality over quantity. Here’s how:
David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles, his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram, or connect with him via LinkedIn! View all posts
