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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.

Schools
15
Median acceptance
82%
Most selective
University of North Carolina
15% acceptance
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15 schools

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.

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT
College3.3 GPA1150 SAT3.7 GPA1300 SAT4.0 GPA1500 SAT
University of North Carolinaadmits 15%11%Reach18%Reach32%Target
NC State Universityadmits 42%30%Target68%Likely90%Safety
North Carolina A&T State Universityadmits 50%74%Safety92%Safety96%Safety
UNC Wilmingtonadmits 64%77%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
Elizabeth City State Universityadmits 64%95%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
Winston-Salem State Universityadmits 78%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
UNC Charlotteadmits 80%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
Western Carolina Universityadmits 82%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
Fayetteville State Universityadmits 82%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
North Carolina Central Universityadmits 87%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
East Carolina Universityadmits 89%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
UNC Greensboroadmits 89%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
Appalachian State Universityadmits 90%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
UNC Ashevilleadmits 92%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
UNC Pembrokeadmits 93%98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety

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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82%median acceptance rate, public universities in north carolina, ranked by acceptance rate (15 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI

<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.