University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Verified · last verified 2026-09-02

University details

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was chartered in 1789 and opened its doors to students on January 15, 1795, as the first state university in the United States. The site of New Hope Chapel, later known as Chapel Hill, was chosen for its central location. The university's undergraduate instruction is centered in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the institution comprises additional schools including medicine, law, business, and others.

Institution type: Public
Campus setting: Urban
Application platforms: Common App
Testing policy: Not available
In-state tuition: $8,994
Out-of-state tuition: $41,203
Cost of attendance: Not available (2024–2025)
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,752

Website Admissions Financial aid

Common Data Set

Institution-reported facts by reporting cycle. Missing and withheld values are shown explicitly.

2025–2026 · most recent available

First-year admission rate

16.7%

Calculated from applications and admissions reported in CDS C1. This is a factual calculation, not a CollegePath rating.

Enrollment

Undergraduate enrollment (B1): 22,007 students
Full-time undergraduate enrollment (B1): 21,016 students
Part-time undergraduate enrollment (B1): 991 students

First-year admission

Majors

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
Health Professions and Related Programs
Anthropology
Social Sciences
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics and Statistics
Archeology
Social Sciences
Area Studies
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
Behavioral Sciences
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Biology, General
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Engineering

Deadlines

Early action · 2026–2027
2026-10-15 — First-year deadline listed in the Common App 2026–2027 Requirements Grid, updated 2026-08-14.
https://content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf
Regular decision · 2026–2027
2027-01-15 — First-year deadline listed in the Common App 2026–2027 Requirements Grid, updated 2026-08-14.
https://content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf

View deadlines from earlier years

2025–2026

Early action · 2025–2026
2025-10-15 — Non-binding Early Action deadline for the fall 2026 entering class. North Carolina residents receive decisions by December 20, 2025; nonresident Early Action applicants receive decisions by February 10, 2026. Admitted students have until May 1, 2026, to make their enrollment decision.

Supplemental essays

No supplemental essays are required for this university.

Application requirements

2026–2027

Application fee · Required
Value: $85
First-year U.S. application fee listed in the Common App 2026–2027 Requirements Grid, updated 2026-08-28.
https://content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf
Fee waiver · Optional
Value: Accepted
Common App fee-waiver availability listed in the 2026–2027 Requirements Grid, updated 2026-08-28.
https://content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf
Personal essay · Required
The Common App personal essay is marked required in the Common App 2026–2027 Requirements Grid, updated 2026-08-28.
https://content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf
Supplemental essays · Not required

Sources

Direct sources supporting this university’s facts, with retrieval dates.

Secondary source · supports requirements:2026–2027
https://content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf
Retrieved 2026-09-02 — Common App member-reported first-year fee, waiver, and personal-essay fields; grid updated 2026-08-28.
Common App 2026–2027 Requirements Grid · supports deadlines:2026–2027
https://content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf
Retrieved 2026-08-20 — Common App member-reported first-year deadlines; grid updated 2026-08-14.
Official source · supports admissions_url
https://admissions.unc.edu/
Retrieved 2026-07-21
Official source · supports financial_aid_url
https://studentaid.unc.edu/

First-year applications (C1)

First-year students admitted (C1)

12,751 students

First-year students enrolled (C1)

5,084 students

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 4.0 (C11)

94.6%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.75-3.99 (C11)

2.8%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.50-3.74 (C11)

1.2%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.25-3.49 (C11)

0.8%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.00-3.24 (C11)

0.5%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 2.50-2.99 (C11)

0.1%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 2.00-2.49 (C11)

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 1.00-1.99 (C11)

High-school GPA distribution · GPA below 1.0 (C11)

Average high-school GPA (C12)

4.47 GPA

Testing

Enrolled students submitting scores · SAT (C9): 41%
Enrolled students submitting scores · ACT (C9): 28%
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing · 25th percentile (C9): 690 score
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing · 75th percentile (C9): 750 score
SAT Math · 25th percentile (C9): 700 score
SAT Math · 75th percentile (C9): 780 score
ACT Composite · 25th percentile (C9): 29 score
ACT Composite · 75th percentile (C9): 34 score

Academics and class size

Student-to-faculty ratio (I2): 14:1

Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025-26 · Retrieved 2026-09-01

Open the official institutional source

Document ID: sha256:faab453ba03d65f687ad684f80c466db8e16799d665703897b722d85231ecc88 · Import: cds-2026-09-v38

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

Chemistry

Physical Sciences

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions

Health Professions and Related Programs

Communication and Media Studies

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

Computer Science

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

Health Professions and Related Programs

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

Visual and Performing Arts

Economics

Social Sciences

English Language and Literature, General

English Language and Literature/Letters

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies

Fine and Studio Arts

Visual and Performing Arts

Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services

Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences

Geography and Cartography

Social Sciences

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences

Physical Sciences

Health and Medical Administrative Services

Health Professions and Related Programs

Human Resources Management and Services

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

Information Science/Studies

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services

Journalism

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Mathematics

Mathematics and Statistics

Music

Visual and Performing Arts

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

Natural Resources and Conservation

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

Philosophy

Philosophy and Religious Studies

Physical Sciences, Other

Physical Sciences

Physics

Physical Sciences

Political Science and Government

Social Sciences

Psychology, General

Psychology

Public Health

Health Professions and Related Programs

Public Policy Analysis

Public Administration and Social Service Professions

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Health Professions and Related Programs

Religion/Religious Studies

Philosophy and Religious Studies

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Sociology

Social Sciences

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies

Statistics

Mathematics and Statistics

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

Education

Financial aid · 2025–2026

2025-12-01 — FAFSA and CSS Profile due for Early Action applicants (fall 2026 entering class) to be considered for academic scholarships and need-based university aid. Additional financial_aid date(s) for this cycle: 2026-03-01 (FAFSA and CSS Profile due for Regular Decision applicants (fall 2026 entering class) to be considered for academic scholarships and need-based university aid.).

https://studentaid.unc.edu/incoming/deadlines/

Regular decision · 2025–2026

2026-01-15 — Regular Decision deadline for the fall 2026 entering class. Applicants receive decisions by March 31, 2026. Admitted students have until May 1, 2026, to make their enrollment decision.

https://uncnews.unc.edu/2025/07/24/unc-chapel-hill-moves-up-admissions-decision-notifications-for-north-carolina-early-applicants/

Value: UNC–Chapel Hill short-answer responses

No supplemental essays are required for this university.

2025–2026

Application fee · Required
Value: 85
Non-refundable $85 application fee, submitted through the Common Application.
https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/types-of-applications/first-year/
Fee waiver · Optional
"If you can't pay the fee right now, please talk with your school counselor about asking us to waive it."
https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/types-of-applications/first-year/
Recommendation letters · Required
Value: 1
One recommendation letter required. "This letter should come from a teacher who taught you in a core academic area, like English, math, science, social science, or world language."
https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/types-of-applications/first-year/
Personal essay · Required
Common Application personal essay, one Common App prompt answered in 250-650 words.
https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/types-of-applications/first-year/
Supplemental essays · Required
Value: 2
The 2025-2026 (fall 2026 entering class) application included two short-answer supplemental questions; the university announced these two short-answer questions are being removed for the 2026-2027 application. The verbatim 2025-2026 prompt text is no longer published on a live official UNC page and therefore is not reproduced here.
https://admissions.unc.edu/short-essays-removed-from-carolinas-2026-2027-application/
Secondary school report · Required
Official high school transcript and school report required as part of the first-year application.
https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/types-of-applications/first-year/
CSS Profile · Required
Financial-aid applicants must submit the CSS Profile to be considered for academic scholarships and need-based university aid.
https://studentaid.unc.edu/incoming/deadlines/
FAFSA · Required
Financial-aid applicants must submit the FAFSA to be considered for academic scholarships and need-based university aid.
https://studentaid.unc.edu/incoming/deadlines/

Retrieved 2026-07-21

Official source · supports application_platforms

https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/types-of-applications/first-year/

Retrieved 2026-07-21

Official source · supports requirements

https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/types-of-applications/first-year/

Retrieved 2026-07-21

Official source · supports requirements

https://admissions.unc.edu/short-essays-removed-from-carolinas-2026-2027-application/

Retrieved 2026-07-21

Official source · supports requirements

https://studentaid.unc.edu/incoming/deadlines/

Retrieved 2026-07-21

Official source · supports deadlines

https://studentaid.unc.edu/incoming/deadlines/

Retrieved 2026-07-21

Official source · supports description

https://oira.unc.edu/general-information-about-unc/

Retrieved 2026-07-21

Official source

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?199120

Retrieved 2026-06-10