University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)

Public four-year university in Wilmington, NC that costs an average of $19,570 a year after financial aid, admits 64% of applicants and graduates 72% of full-time students.

Net price / year
$19,570
Acceptance rate
64%
Graduation rate
72%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$61,019

PublicMidsize city14,922 undergraduates

Cost of UNCW

Total cost of attendance (per year)$28,004
Tuition and fees, in-state$7,266
Tuition and fees, out-of-state$25,420
Housing and food (on campus)$15,406
Books and supplies$850
Average net price after aid$19,570

Net price by family income

Family incomeAverage net price / year
$0–30,000$11,568
$30,001–48,000$11,726
$48,001–75,000$14,444
$75,001–110,000$20,775
$110,001+$26,500

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with UNCW's net price calculator ↗.

Admissions

Acceptance rate64%
Average SAT1,287
SAT reading (25th–75th percentile)620–680
SAT math (25th–75th percentile)610–660
ACT composite (25th–75th percentile)24–29
Test scoresConsidered but not required

Graduation, earnings and debt

Graduation rate72%
First-year retention88%
Median earnings 6 years after enrolling$52,318
Median earnings 10 years after enrolling$61,019
Rank in North Carolina (earnings)10th of 55 similar colleges
Median debt of graduates$18,250
Typical monthly loan payment$207 (10-year plan)
Students with Pell grants28%
Students with federal loans35%

Majors and programs at UNCW

Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.

Bachelor's degree programs (50)

ProgramGraduates (2 yrs)Earnings after 1 yrMedian debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing1,564$80,708$12,550
Computer Science192$66,482$20,500
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other90$63,051$20,942
Computer and Information Sciences59$55,650$21,906
Business Administration, Management and Operations1,394$52,720$17,226
Chemistry56$48,253$16,648
Special Education and Teaching19$45,666—
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods263$45,003$15,736
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences59$44,429$17,750
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness360$43,966—
Public Health210$42,492$20,000
Communication and Media Studies362$41,603$16,633
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions58$39,527$18,562
Social Work154$39,510$20,000
Natural Resources Conservation and Research214$38,870$18,400
Sociology57$38,349$21,000
Biology345$38,248$17,511
Political Science and Government85$38,212$15,050
Criminology218$38,128$19,500
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management68$37,630$18,125
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences—$36,498$17,375
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities—$35,444$25,000
History85$35,149$19,500
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology180$34,226$19,500
English Language and Literature85$33,437$20,094
Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other28$33,102—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft31$32,494—
Psychology563$32,092$18,677
Fine and Studio Arts91$29,894$20,000
International/Globalization Studies72$29,076$13,920
Anthropology46$27,019$20,771
Film/Video and Photographic Arts174$25,552$16,473
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies67$23,439$25,000
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions58—$19,836
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology———
Business/Managerial Economics———
Computer Engineering———
Computer Software and Media Applications36——
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management10——
Economics18——
Engineering, Other36—$21,295
Geography and Cartography13——
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics1——
Mathematics30——
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other40——
Music14——
Physics9——
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics47——
Statistics10——
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas4——

Certificate programs (3)

ProgramGraduates (2 yrs)Earnings after 1 yrMedian debt
Educational/Instructional Media Design2——
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods3——
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies6——

Master's degree programs (40)

ProgramGraduates (2 yrs)Earnings after 1 yrMedian debt
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other41$112,162—
Business Administration, Management and Operations243$98,994$28,937
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing265$91,135$27,187
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods475$88,517$26,829
Finance and Financial Management Services—$79,709—
Accounting and Related Services50$75,502$20,500
Chemistry41$68,087—
Health and Medical Administrative Services307$67,640$30,649
Educational/Instructional Media Design34$64,319—
Communication and Media Studies—$62,301$22,694
Dispute Resolution—$59,246—
Educational Administration and Supervision25$57,081$23,780
English Language and Literature23$55,470—
Social Work158$51,603$26,522
Public Administration52$51,496$30,190
Education105$49,730$32,155
History69$48,314$34,639
Psychology41$47,201—
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods106$45,209$31,049
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology24$44,086—
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies40$41,002—
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions23——
Biology11——
Computer and Information Sciences46——
Computer Software and Media Applications35——
Curriculum and Instruction9——
Data Analytics69——
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy19——
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies———
Film/Video and Photographic Arts32——
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences38——
Gerontology10——
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities5——
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services———
Mathematics8——
Natural Resources Conservation and Research26——
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution22——
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication123——
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics15——
Sociology19——

Doctoral degree programs (6)

ProgramGraduates (2 yrs)Earnings after 1 yrMedian debt
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other3——
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology6——
Educational Administration and Supervision40——
Marine Sciences———
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration———
Psychology18——

Professional degree programs (2)

ProgramGraduates (2 yrs)Earnings after 1 yrMedian debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing131——
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions———

Graduate certificate programs (21)

ProgramGraduates (2 yrs)Earnings after 1 yrMedian debt
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education1——
Business Administration, Management and Operations35——
Community Organization and Advocacy1——
Education7——
Educational Administration and Supervision12——
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research5——
Educational/Instructional Media Design10——
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies———
Geography and Cartography12——
Gerontology———
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other20——
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities———
Natural Resources Conservation and Research———
Political Science and Government———
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing———
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies10——
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics———
Security Science and Technology17——
Statistics1——
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods6——
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas———

Similar colleges in North Carolina

CollegeCityNet price / yrAcceptanceEarnings
University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro$12,29189%$53,402
North Carolina A & T State UniversityGreensboro$9,88450%$50,279
Appalachian State UniversityBoone$16,08290%$57,488
East Carolina UniversityGreenville$16,88089%$60,387
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill$11,30515%$81,094
Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee$13,02582%$53,764
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte$15,14280%$63,486
North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh$16,48642%$77,810

All colleges in North Carolina →

About UNCW

TypePublic four-year university
LocationWilmington, NC
SettingMidsize city
Undergraduates14,922
Student-to-faculty ratio17 to 1
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Websiteuncw.edu ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is UNCW's acceptance rate?

University of North Carolina Wilmington admits 64% of applicants. Admitted students average 1,287 on the SAT.

How much does UNCW cost per year?

The full cost of attendance is $28,004 a year (tuition and fees: $7,266 in-state, $25,420 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $19,570 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $11,568.

How much do UNCW graduates earn?

Former students earn a median of $61,019 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 10th of 55 similar colleges in North Carolina. The best-paid bachelor's program is registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing ($80,708 a year after graduation).

What is UNCW's graduation rate?

72% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 88% of first-year students return for a second year.