More selective than 65% 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 $26,547. College Scorecard.
Higher than 79% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 79% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 78% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UNCW acceptance rate & admissions
Of 17,370 applicants, University of North Carolina Wilmington admitted 12,856 and 2,701 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1230–1340 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UNCW 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 UNCW costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of North Carolina Wilmington took 4.2 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 | $10,778 | $45,699 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $12,572 | $53,305 | 2.5 years |
| $48–75k | $17,378 | $73,683 | 3.4 years |
| $75–110k | $24,046 | $101,955 | 4.8 years |
| $110k+ | $25,573 | $108,430 | 5.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($54,967) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,451 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.
UNCW majors, earnings & careers
University of North Carolina Wilmington offers 48 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at UNCW
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $88,219 | $24,819 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $86,654 | $24,990 |
| Nursing | $86,606 | $22,000 |
| Business Administration | $75,512 | $21,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $71,964 | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | $66,941 | $21,946 |
| Chemistry | $65,982 | $19,935 |
| Biology | $60,750 | $22,125 |
Quick list of all 48 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology$33,461
- Biology$60,750
- Business Administration$75,512
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry$65,982
- Communications$54,315
- Computer and Information Sciences$71,964
- Computer Science$88,219
- Criminology$50,514
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$39,812
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,024
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering, Other—
- English$46,008
- Environmental Science / Conservation$46,527
- Film and Photography$34,184
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science$60,414
- German—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$86,654
- History$46,072
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies$54,707
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics$66,941
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$86,606
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$50,241
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other$42,597
- Physics—
- Physiology$50,564
- Political Science$58,258
- Psychology$49,609
- Public Health$60,722
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$51,696
- Social Work$47,587
- Sociology$48,591
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$45,289
- Special Education$52,494
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$42,192
- Theatre$35,956
- Writing$37,968
— 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 →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Wilmington
Overall prices in the Wilmington, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,705. Housing costs 7% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 60 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); tornado (relatively high); coastal flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, New Hanover County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
New Hanover County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UNCW 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 Wilmington | 64% | $20,109 | 71% | $54,967 | This school |
| North Carolina A & T State University | 50% | $10,846 | 57% | $44,440 | |
| Western Carolina University | 82% | $13,315 | 60% | $49,458 | |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 89% | $10,965 | 56% | $48,160 | |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 80% | $15,435 | 69% | $57,289 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of North Carolina Wilmington would cost you $9,263 more per year than North Carolina A & T State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of North Carolina Wilmington, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$3,773).
- North Carolina A & T State University gives aided families $3,143 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | UNCW | NCAT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,277 | $6,813 | +$464 |
| Books & supplies | $1,130 | $1,500 | −$370 |
| Housing & meals | $12,605 | $8,832 | +$3,773 |
| Personal & travel | $5,978 | $3,600 | +$2,378 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$443 | −$318 | −$125 |
| Sticker price | $26,547 | $20,427 | +$6,120 |
| Average grants | −$6,438 | −$9,581 | +$3,143 |
| You pay | $20,109 | $10,846 | +$9,263 |
“+” means UNCW 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 UNCW
What is the UNCW acceptance rate?
University of North Carolina Wilmington accepts 64% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 12,856 of 17,370 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1230–1340 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
How much does University of North Carolina Wilmington cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,547 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,109 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,778 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,573.
How much do UNCW graduates earn?
Former University of North Carolina Wilmington students earn a median $54,967 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UNCW graduation rate?
71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 88% return for their second year.
How long does a UNCW degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of North Carolina Wilmington costs about $73,683 after grants ($17,378 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,967 ten years after starting, $21,451 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.4 years 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 Wilmington: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-wilmington (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).