Elizabeth City State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Elizabeth City State University, a public university in North Carolina, reports a 64% acceptance rate and sits in the moderately selective band. In practice that means it admits more applicants than it rejects, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Elizabeth City State University weighs, where it ranks among North Carolina schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1020, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Elizabeth City State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Elizabeth City State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Elizabeth City State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Elizabeth City State University?
Your odds at Elizabeth City State University are not the same as its 64% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Elizabeth City State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Elizabeth City State University hard to get into?
Elizabeth City State University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 64% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Elizabeth City State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Elizabeth City State University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Elizabeth City State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Elizabeth City State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Elizabeth City State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Elizabeth City State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1000 SAT?
About 83% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1000 SAT, the middle of Elizabeth City State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1080 SAT comes out near 96%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/elizabeth-city-state-university.
How to get into Elizabeth City State University
Built from Elizabeth City State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Elizabeth City State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Elizabeth City State University carries about a 3.30 core GPA and a 1030 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 920 to 1080 SAT (16 to 22 ACT). Submit a score at 1000 or higher; below 920, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Elizabeth City State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Elizabeth City State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.ecsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Elizabeth City State University, and how many get in?
Elizabeth City State University admitted 3,778 of the 5,360 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 70.5%. 347 enrolled. Only about 9% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Elizabeth City State University enrolls about 1,975 undergraduates in total, 50% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 19 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Elizabeth City State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Elizabeth City State University scored between 920 and 1080 on the SAT (average 1019). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 16 to 22. A score above 1080 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 920 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Elizabeth City State University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Elizabeth City State University looks for
What Elizabeth City State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Elizabeth City State University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Elizabeth City State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Elizabeth City State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Elizabeth City State University cost after financial aid?
Elizabeth City State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $17,701 per year. Tuition and fees are $6,536 for NC residents and $10,536 for out-of-state students, a $4,000 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $6,364 a year, and it ranges from $4,246 for families earning under $30,000 to $15,663 for families earning over $110,000. 54% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Elizabeth City State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Elizabeth City State University student who received federal aid earns $40,026 a year, up from $33,776 at six years. 44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $21,463; 54% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Elizabeth City State University compares in North Carolina
Elizabeth City State University ranks #12 most selective of 38 schools in North Carolina in our database.
Among the 38 North Carolina schools we track, Elizabeth City State University ranks #12 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Duke University (6%) and Davidson College (13%) sit nearby, which makes North Carolina a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Elizabeth City State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Elizabeth City State University often weigh UNC Wilmington, Central Missouri, and Queens College (NY), which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Elizabeth City State University's acceptance rate?
Elizabeth City State University admitted 3,778 of 5,360 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 70.5% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 9% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Elizabeth City State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 920 to 1080 on the SAT and 16 to 22 on the ACT. A score above 1080 is in the top quarter of admits. Elizabeth City State University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Elizabeth City State University test-optional?
Yes. Elizabeth City State University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Elizabeth City State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Elizabeth City State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $6,364 a year against a sticker price of about $17,701. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $4,246 on average.
What do Elizabeth City State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Elizabeth City State University are $40,026 a year among students who received federal aid, and 44% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Elizabeth City State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Elizabeth City State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Elizabeth City State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Elizabeth City State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Elizabeth City State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Elizabeth City State University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Elizabeth City State University?
Elizabeth City State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.