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Wilmington , NC
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, commonly known as UNC Wilmington or UNCW, is a public research university located in Wilmington, North Carolina. Established in 1947, UNCW has grown to become one of the top universities in the state. With a mission to provide a high-quality education, foster creative activity, and promote engagement with the community, UNCW offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across various disciplines.
UNC Wilmington is renowned for its strong programs in marine science, which take advantage of its coastal location. The university's Center for Marine Science, the MarineQuest program, and the Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program provide students with unique opportunities to study and conduct research in the field. UNCW also offers programs in areas such as business, education, arts and sciences, health and human services, and the arts, catering to a diverse range of academic interests.
In addition to its academic offerings, UNCW is known for its vibrant campus life and engagement opportunities. The university has over 220 student organizations, including Greek life, recreational sports teams, and academic clubs, providing ample opportunities for students to get involved and make lasting connections. UNCW's campus is also located near vibrant downtown Wilmington, offering students easy access to restaurants, shops, and cultural attractions. With its commitment to fostering academic excellence, community engagement, and personal development, UNC Wilmington provides a well-rounded educational experience for its students.
Located in Wilmington, NC and set in an urban environment, University of North Carolina Wilmington is a public university. This school follows a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 64%. The freshman retention rate at University of North Carolina Wilmington is 88.2% and the six-year graduation rate is 71%.
The freshmen application deadline for this school is February 1. The transfer application deadline is June 1.
To find out more about what University of North Carolina Wilmington has to offer to its students, read on for the latest data reported by this school.
Quick Facts
15,254
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
17:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
71%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
You need to learn as much as you can about the entrance requirements of the university in order to increase your chances of being accepted. Read on to find out some vital data about admission at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
According to the newest data, this school uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 13,101 in 2025. University of North Carolina Wilmington has an official test-optional admission policy but takes into consideration standardized test scores in cases when they are submitted by the candidate. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.
Test Scores
5% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 12% submitted ACT scores, out of the total number of those who submitted test scores. 5.1% of the freshmen submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 93.5% between 1,200 and 1,399 and 1.4% between 1,000 and 1,199. The percent of first-year students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 17.5, 70 between 24-29 and 15.5 in the range between 18-23.
The ACT composite average score for all the enrolled students in 2025 was 26 while the average GPA was 4.06. Therefore, the chances are that you'll need a GPA higher than the average for acceptance, and the same goes for your ACT score.
Deadlines
The cutoff date for submitting applications to this school is February 1. If you are applying for a transfer, note that the application deadline is June 1.
Retention Rate
The student retention rate is the percentage of students who re-enroll from one year to the next. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for University of North Carolina Wilmington was 88.2%, indicative of the exceptional educational experience and supportive environment at this school.
Another important metric to consider is the graduation rate. This rate indicates how many students finish their degrees within a certain timeframe. The six-year completion rate at this institution is 71%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Deciding if a school is the best fit for you is not an easy task. You can get a better insight into a school's culture and life by finding out more about its student body.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school enrolled 18,848 students.
That year, the school had 14.5% of out-of-state students. There was a total of 15,254 students pursuing undergraduate degrees, including 154 international students. The school reported to have a total of 1,883 transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 5,358 male and 9,184 female full-time students in 2025, which speaks volumes for gender equality at this institution. 327 full-time graduate men and 966 full-time graduate women attended this school.
Student Population Diversity
In order to promote a sense of inclusion and belonging among its students, higher education is dedicated to increasing student diversity. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Find out more about different ethnic groups you can meet at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
This school had 305 Asian students and 608 Afro-American students in 2025. 1,355 students at this school identified as Hispanic/Latino and 506 identified with more than one race. The school also had 27 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 71 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 133 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Financial planning for school is one of the most important things to think about before you apply. Here are some details you should know about the cost of attendance for University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some facts that can be useful if you were curious about University of North Carolina Wilmington estimated tuition price.
For the students who live in the area, the tuition cost was $4,443, as reported by public county or municipal institutions. For students who don't live in the state in which the university is located, the tuition was $21,318 in 2025. Tuition costs at University of North Carolina Wilmington for international students equalled $21,318. Fees per academic year required of full-time students amounted to $2,834 in 2025.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $21,318 | $2,834 | $24,152 |
| In-State | $4,443 | $2,834 | $7,277 |
Books and Supplies
Another important financial factor to take into consideration is the approximate price of books and supplies for a college or university. The cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is estimated at about $860.
Boarding
When choosing a college, you should factor in the price of a dorm room and meals at the school cafeteria. What is the typical amount colleges and universities charge for room and board?
In 2025, the price of room and board at University of North Carolina Wilmington was $14,268 per academic year. Room-only (on campus) cost per academic year at this school totaled $9,128, according to the data from 2025. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was also $9,128.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 4,443 |
| Room and Board | $ 14,268 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 860 |
| Total Expense | $ 19,571 |
Financial Aid
Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all types of financial aid available to students. Check out some recent data to get the information about need-based and non-need-based aid you might get at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
The most recent records show that 1,267 freshmen received some sort of financial help. The average amount of financial aid given to students was $12,168.
Need-based
Need-based financial aid is exactly what it sounds like — it’s awarded based on the determined financial need.
5,110 students secured some form of need-based financial aid. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need ended up being 5,777. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution totaled $19,704,088, and state $8,986,449. The students of University of North Carolina Wilmington received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $13,670,010, and external in the amount of $2,292,520.
$3,893
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based aid is any type of financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid. Non-need-based student aid typicaly comes in a form of Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
955 students, including freshmen, received institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid at this school in 2025. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 301 full-time freshmen. The total dollar amount of federal non-need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the studens at this school was $19,704,088 while the state aid is $19,414. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $2,913,158. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $2,631,918 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Majors
Faculty
17:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty ratio can tell you a lot about the teaching resources a school provides for its students.
In 2025, this ratio at University of North Carolina Wilmington was 17:1. That means that there were 17 times more students than teachers at this school. The total number of faculty teaching at the institution is 1,266. Out of that number, there were 550 men and 716 women. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school is telling of the importance gender equality has at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at University of North Carolina Wilmington: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Check out some info about campus life at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
It has a campus size of 661 acres.
Student Organizations
A student organization is run by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
This school has 339 open-membership student organizations you can participate in. That includes sororities and fraternities. 11 percent of male and 8 of female students take part in in different organizations at University of North Carolina Wilmington. The student organization that gathers the largest number of students is Association of Self Care, followed by Women in Science and Engineering and Stand Up Paddleboard Club. Other popular organizations at University of North Carolina Wilmington are Plastic Ocean Project and Residence Hall Association.
There is a drama club you can join if acting is something that interests you. For students who have a passion for media and communication, University of North Carolina Wilmington publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
At University of North Carolina Wilmington, there are many amenities required for a comfortable and safe life on campus.
24/7 emergency phone and alarm devices are available. The dormitory entrances are electronically operated. There is a 24-hour security patrol. There is a medical clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Veteran's Affairs and Women's Center are available to the students of University of North Carolina Wilmington.
All in all, campus life at University of North Carolina Wilmington is rich and vibrant and provides all you need for a comfortable stay.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Career Counselling
At University of North Carolina Wilmington, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a job bank and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. The school has campus employer recruitment for all the students. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
FAQ
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University of North Carolina Wilmington is located in Wilmington, NC.
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This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for University of North Carolina Wilmington is 64%.
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The most recent reported freshman retention rate for University of North Carolina Wilmington is 88.2%.
Contact Information
University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 S. College Road
Wilmington , NC
28403
910 962-3000
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
