Public Universities in North Carolina, Ranked by Acceptance Rate
North Carolina has 15 public universities in the CollegeCalcAI database. The most selective is University of North Carolina at 15%; the most accessible is UNC Pembroke at 93%, and the median public university in the state admits 82%. 3 of them post an admitted-student SAT (75th percentile) of 1300 or higher. In-state tuition usually makes these the best-value options on a North Carolina student's list, so it pays to know exactly where each one sits.
- University of North Carolina15%acceptanceHighly selectiveNC · SAT 1470
- NC State University42%acceptanceSelectiveNC · SAT 1380
- North Carolina A&T State University50%acceptanceSelectiveNC · SAT 1120
- UNC Wilmington64%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1300
- Elizabeth City State University64%acceptanceModerately selectiveNC · SAT 1020
- Winston-Salem State University78%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1020
- UNC Charlotte80%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1210
- Western Carolina University82%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1130
- Fayetteville State University82%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1020
- North Carolina Central University87%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1060
- East Carolina University89%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1190
- UNC Greensboro89%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1130
- Appalachian State University90%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1280
- UNC Asheville92%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1240
- UNC Pembroke93%acceptanceAccessibleNC · SAT 1120
Your chances at these colleges
Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.
Which of the Public Universities in North Carolina can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?
By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 14 of the 15 colleges here, including NC State University, North Carolina A&T State University and UNC Wilmington. The other 1 is a Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.
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CollegeCalcAI. "Public Universities in North Carolina, Ranked by Acceptance Rate." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/public-universities-in-north-carolina
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<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/public-universities-in-north-carolina?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff"><span style="display:block;font-size:30px;font-weight:800;color:#0F766E;line-height:1">82%</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:6px;font-size:13px;color:#475569">median acceptance rate, public universities in north carolina, ranked by acceptance rate (15 schools)</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:8px;font-size:11px;color:#94A3B8">Source: CollegeCalcAI</span></a>
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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.