NC State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
NC State University, a public university in North Carolina, reports a 42% acceptance rate and sits in the selective band. In practice that means it admits a minority of applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what NC 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 1380, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
NC State University application deadlines, 2026-27 · NC State University supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at NC 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 NC State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into NC State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into NC State University?
Your odds at NC State University are not the same as its 42% 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 NC State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is NC State University hard to get into?
NC State University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 42% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into NC State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at NC State University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. NC 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 NC State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at NC 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 NC State University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1390 SAT?
About 67% (Likely), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1390 SAT, the middle of NC State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1470 SAT comes out near 83%. 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/nc-state-university.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at NC State University
From NC State University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
Does NC State University have early decision?
No. NC State University reported no Early Decision plan in its 2025-26 Common Data Set. It does offer Early Action.
How many students get off the waitlist at NC State University?
476 for fall 2025. NC State University offered 10,710 applicants a waitlist spot, 4,311 accepted one, and 476 were admitted from it: 11% of those who stayed on (NC State University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
What is the transfer acceptance rate at NC State University?
44.7%: 2,405 of 5,383 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (NC State University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: NC State University Common Data Set 2025-26. Read from the document twice independently; only matching figures are shown. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into NC State University
Built from NC 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 NC 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 NC State University carries about a 3.54 core GPA and a 1420 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1300 to 1470 SAT (28 to 32 ACT). Submit a score at 1385 or higher; below 1300, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
NC 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 NC State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.ncsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to NC State University, and how many get in?
NC State University admitted 15,958 of the 40,049 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 39.8%. 5,728 enrolled. Roughly 36% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. NC State University enrolls about 27,371 undergraduates in total, 50% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for NC State University?
Admitted students at NC State University post SAT scores of 1300 to 1470 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1376. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 28 to 32. A score above 1470 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1300 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. NC 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 NC State University looks for
What NC State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at NC 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 NC 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 NC 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 NC State University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at NC State University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $26,425 a year. Tuition and fees are $8,799 for NC residents and $32,847 for out-of-state students, a $24,048 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 $17,303 a year, and it ranges from $6,382 for families earning under $30,000 to $24,652 for families earning over $110,000. 20% 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 NC State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for NC State University students ten years after entry are $68,758 ($57,623 at the six-year mark). 85% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $20,121; 33% 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 NC State University compares in North Carolina
NC State University ranks #6 most selective of 38 schools in North Carolina in our database.
Among the 38 North Carolina schools we track, NC State University ranks #6 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 NC State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting NC State University often weigh UC Davis, University of Illinois, and University of Tennessee, 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.
More data for North Carolina: UNC Wilmington acceptance rate and your odds
Frequently asked questions
What is NC State University's acceptance rate?
NC State University admitted 15,958 of 40,049 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 39.8% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 36% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for NC State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1300 to 1470 on the SAT and 28 to 32 on the ACT. A score above 1470 is in the top quarter of admits. NC State University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is NC State University test-optional?
Yes. NC 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 NC State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at NC State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $17,303 a year against a sticker price of about $26,425. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $6,382 on average.
What do NC State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering NC State University are $68,758 a year among students who received federal aid, and 85% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does NC State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, NC 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 NC State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, NC 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 NC 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 NC State University specifically.
Is NC State University a target or a reach for an average applicant?
For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near NC State University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.
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.