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University of North Carolina Wilmington
Most applicants get into University of North Carolina Wilmington — 64.2% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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University of North Carolina Wilmington sits in Wilmington proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Science, where graduates median $88,219 four years out. Faculty pay averages $120,888 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 14,922 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 88.2% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1220 and 1360 — above the NC middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on University of North Carolina Wilmington's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
University of North Carolina Wilmington is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1220–1360 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically University of North Carolina Wilmington's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 620 | 660 | 690 |
| SAT Math | 600 | 630 | 670 |
| ACT Composite | 24 | 26 | 28 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, University of North Carolina Wilmington received 17,370 applications and admitted 12,856 (74%), with 2,701 enrolling.
How University of North Carolina Wilmington compares
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | North Carolina median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 64.2% | 75.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $7,277 | $19,500 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $54,967 | $45,873 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median University of North Carolina Wilmington student earns $54,967 — 20% above the North Carolina median of $45,873 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, University of North Carolina Wilmington prices by residency: $7,277 in-state versus $24,152 out-of-state — a $16,875 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
University of North Carolina Wilmington enrolls 14,922 undergraduates — mid-sized, with the trade-offs University of North Carolina Wilmington's scale implies: more programs than a small college, more anonymity too.
70.6% of University of North Carolina Wilmington students finish a bachelor's within six years — 15.7 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $7,277 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at University of North Carolina Wilmington
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | $88,219 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $86,654 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $86,606 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $75,512 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $71,964 |
| Mathematics | $66,941 |
| Chemistry | $65,982 |
| Biology, General | $60,750 |
| Public Health | $60,722 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $60,414 |
| Political Science and Government | $58,258 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $54,707 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $54,315 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $52,494 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $51,696 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | $50,564 |
| Criminology | $50,514 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $50,241 |
| Psychology, General | $49,609 |
| Sociology | $48,591 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $48,024 |
| Social Work | $47,587 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $46,527 |
| History | $46,072 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $46,008 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $45,289 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | $42,597 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $42,192 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $39,812 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $37,968 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $35,956 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $34,184 |
| Anthropology | $33,461 |
Median earnings for these 33 University of North Carolina Wilmington programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $54,967 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 15 additional University of North Carolina Wilmington programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for University of North Carolina Wilmington?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1220–1360 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 64.2% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is University of North Carolina Wilmington's acceptance rate?
74% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 12,856 admitted from 17,370 applicants.
How much does University of North Carolina Wilmington cost?
In-state tuition is $7,277; out-of-state students pay $24,152. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do University of North Carolina Wilmington graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $54,967 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in North Carolina
- North Carolina Wesleyan University — 80.2% admitted
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte — 79.6% admitted
- University of Mount Olive — 75.8% admitted
- Montreat College — 69.2% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.