More selective than 96% of North Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,055. College Scorecard.
Higher than 96% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 96% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 93% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 87% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill acceptance rate & admissions
Of 57,902 applicants, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill admitted 10,850 and 4,699 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1390–1530 on the SAT or 28–34 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for North Carolina residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in North Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $2,004 | $8,176 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $3,918 | $15,985 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $8,538 | $34,835 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $16,415 | $66,973 | 1.7 years |
| $110k+ | $24,396 | $99,536 | 2.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (86% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($72,200) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $38,684 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majors, earnings & careers
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers 51 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Science & Math · 11
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Communications & Media · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $137,047 | $14,131 |
| Business Administration | $135,874 | $14,339 |
| Applied Mathematics | $119,839 | $15,300 |
| Health Administration | $110,204 | — |
| Economics | $103,846 | $15,843 |
| Physics | $103,477 | $19,200 |
| Mathematics | $101,599 | $14,500 |
| Information Science / Studies | $100,940 | $13,294 |
Quick list of all 51 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology$56,589
- Applied Mathematics$119,839
- Archeology—
- Area Studies$65,933
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biology$62,047
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering$97,992
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$135,874
- Chemistry$64,981
- Classics—
- Communications$70,240
- Computer Science$137,047
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$72,567
- Economics$103,846
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,209
- English$51,208
- Environmental Science / Conservation$65,337
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$54,691
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Geography$49,476
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Health Administration$110,204
- History$57,952
- Human Resources$76,811
- Information Science / Studies$100,940
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$63,286
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$72,422
- Linguistics$54,181
- Mathematics$101,599
- Medical Laboratory Science$72,892
- Music$58,127
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$78,585
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution$80,344
- Philosophy$70,709
- Physical Sciences, Other—
- Physics$103,477
- Political Science$72,001
- Psychology$57,477
- Public Health—
- Public Policy Analysis$74,403
- Religious Studies$52,716
- Sociology$51,801
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$64,570
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$41,722
- Theatre$41,362
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Durham
Overall prices in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,745. Housing costs 1% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Orange County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Orange County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with similar schools
Similar public colleges in North Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 15% | $11,655 | 91% | $72,200 | This school |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 42% | $17,303 | 85% | $68,758 | |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts | 30% | $14,906 | 78% | $38,357 | |
| North Carolina A & T State University | 50% | $10,846 | 57% | $44,440 | |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | 64% | $20,109 | 71% | $54,967 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill would cost you $5,648 less per year than North Carolina State University at Raleigh, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$703).
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gives aided families $5,278 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NCSU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,994 | $8,799 | +$195 |
| Books & supplies | $1,290 | $869 | +$421 |
| Housing & meals | $13,016 | $13,719 | −$703 |
| Personal & travel | $2,814 | $3,121 | −$307 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$59 | −$83 | +$24 |
| Sticker price | $26,055 | $26,425 | −$370 |
| Average grants | −$14,400 | −$9,122 | −$5,278 |
| You pay | $11,655 | $17,303 | −$5,648 |
“+” means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
What is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill acceptance rate?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill accepts 15% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 10,850 of 57,902 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1390–1530 on the SAT or 28–34 on the ACT.
How much does University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,055 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $11,655 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $2,004 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,396.
How much do University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduates earn?
Former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students earn a median $72,200 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduation rate?
91% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 97% return for their second year.
How long does a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill costs about $34,835 after grants ($8,538 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $72,200 ten years after starting, $38,684 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in under 1 year of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).