University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina · Public · 14,922 undergraduates · uncw.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
65%
of 22,359 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1240 to 1350
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$30,880Est.Estimate
$50,340 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at University of North Carolina Wilmington
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
University of North Carolina Wilmington uses a weighted or recalculated GPA, so its own calculation may differ slightly from yours.
Your admission chances
65% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
62% of freshmen had a weighted high school GPA of 4.0 or higher (average 4.09).
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$50,340
a year in 2027-28, from a $50,340 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1301
Send your score
About 83% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1200, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- If your weighted GPA is below 2.8, you must send a score.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
Source: Standardized Testing | UNCW · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Action · November 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Source: Deadlines & How to Apply | UNCW
Who gets in
65%
of applicants were admitted: 14,472 of 22,359 for fall 2025.
Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/01, hear by 01/20.
Wait list
1,897 students were offered a spot; 4 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 6.9% of them sent SAT scores and 13% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1240 to 1350
Reading and Writing 630 to 690
Math 610 to 680
ACT composite 24 to 29
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160013%
- 1200 to 139985%
- 1000 to 11991.8%
- 800 to 9990.5%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 4.09
- 4.062%
- 3.75 to 3.9926%
- 3.50 to 3.7411%
- 3.25 to 3.491.3%
- 3.00 to 3.240.2%
- 2.50 to 2.990%
- Below 2.500%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$30,880
a year, in state
$50,340
a year, out of state (tuition $24,160)
- Tuition (in state)$4,700
- Fees$2,990
- Food and housing$16,310
- Books and supplies$900
- Transportation and other$5,980
University of North Carolina Wilmington published $29,170 in state for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$11,568
- $30,001 to $48,000$11,726
- $48,001 to $75,000$14,444
- $75,001 to $110,000$20,775
- Over $110,000$26,500
Financial aid
57%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$9,950
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
14%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $3,055 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 03/01
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
43 of 43
Earn credit with a score of 3
41 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $470Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 101 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 102 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | AFN 130 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | ARH 201 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BIO 105 BIOL 105 |
| Biology | 4 | 4 | BIO 201 BIOL 201 |
| Biology | 5 | 8 | BIO 201 BIOL 201 BIO 202 BIOL 202 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MAT 161 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MAT 161 & 162 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 3 | 4 | MAT 161 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 4 | CHM 101 + Lab |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8 | CHM 101 + Lab, CHM 102 + Lab |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | CHN 101 & 102 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 9 | CHN 101, 102 & 001 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 12 | CHN 101, 102 & 001 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | PLS 230 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 | CSC 001 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 4 | CSC 131 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CSC 001 |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 7 | CSC 131, 001 |
| Computer Science Principles | 5 | 8 | CSC 131, 231 |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | ART 111 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENG 101 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 3 | ENG 103 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENG 110 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | EVS 001 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 3 | EVS 195 |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HST 001 |
| European History | 4 | 6 | HST 101 & 102 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | FRH 201 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | FRH 201 & 202 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | GER 201 & 202 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GGY 101 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | ITN 201 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | ITN 201 & 202 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | JPN 102 & 201 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | JPN 201 & 202 |
| Latin | 3 | 6 | LAT 101 & 102 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECN 222 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECN 221 |
| Music Aural Subscore | 4 | 3 | MUS 111 & MUSL 111 |
| Music Aural Subscore | 5 | 6 | MUS 111, 112, MUSL 111, 112 |
| Music Non-Aural Subscore | 4 | 3 | MUS 111 & MUSL 111 |
| Music Non-Aural Subscore | 5 | 6 | MUS 111, 112, MUSL 111, 112 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | MUS 106 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 | PHY 101 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 4 | PHY 102 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 4 | PHY 202 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 5 | MAT 160 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSY 001 |
| Psychology | 4 | 3 | PSY 105 |
| Research | 3 | 3 | Information Literacy |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | Information Literacy |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | SPN 201 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | SPN 202, 302 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 3 | SPN 201 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 6 | SPN 202, 302 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | STT 215 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | PLS 101 |
| United States History | 3 | 3 | HST 001 |
| United States History | 4 | 6 | HST 105 & 106 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 | HST 001 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 6 | HST 103 & 104 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
72%
Come back for a second year
88%
Typical earnings
$61,019
a year, 10 years after starting here
- University of North Carolina Wilmington$80,281
- All colleges$71,390
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 34 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with University of North Carolina Wilmington. The University of North Carolina Wilmington logo is a trademark of the college.