About
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, or University of North Carolina at Wilmington, is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system and enrolled 18,848 undergraduate and graduate students in 2024. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 11.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 111 Title IV programs, 47 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 63 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing47 · 42.3%
- No Data63 · 56.8%
- Failing1 · 0.9%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 13
Action history · 19
- Apr 2025Initial AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Dec 2024Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalCommission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
- Aug 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Apr 2024Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
- Dec 2023Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,614 students received $26.4M in Pell grants, alongside $71.3M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 3,380 borrowers who entered repayment, 55 (1.6%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at UNCW
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus21
- Public property2
Includes 15 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
UNCW vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions UNCW selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington | 71% | — | 18,848 | $19,472 | R2 Research |
Binghamton University | 82% | 38.6% | 18,816 | $21,364 | R1 Research |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 86% | 31.3% | 23,069 | $15,624 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Ohio University-Main Campus | 65% | 85.0% | 26,323 | $20,413 | R1 Research |
Rowan University | 67% | 77.7% | 21,026 | $22,185 | R2 Research |
The University of Montana | 49% | 95.9% | 10,811 | $17,118 | R1 Research |
University of California-Santa Cruz | 75% | 65.8% | 19,938 | $16,607 | R1 Research |
University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 69% | 72.4% | 13,906 | $18,328 | R1 Research |
University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 65% | 83.0% | 16,598 | $18,627 | R2 Research |
University of Rhode Island | 72% | 72.2% | 17,210 | $19,899 | R2 Research |
University of South Dakota | 60% | 98.8% | 10,619 | $19,155 | R2 Research |
Western Washington University | 65% | 93.2% | 14,710 | $18,680 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
William & Mary | 89% | 34.1% | 9,818 | $22,529 | R2 Research |
| Peer group median | 69% | 75.0% | 17,210 | $19,155 |
UNCW Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
As the official source of statistics about the university, Institutional Research and Planning (IRP) provides information about UNCW through data analysis and reports.
Visit IR office page- Kimberly A. MillerDirector of Institutional Effectiveness
- Michael J SmithDirector of Institutional Research & Analytics
- Carlene C. JacksonAssistant Director of Institutional Reporting
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set (6)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionData DefinitionsThe University of North Carolina Wilmington's Data Definitions page provides a comprehensive list of terms commonly used in institutional research and planning. This includes definitions for terms related to student classification, programs, and educational metrics, enhancing understanding and clarity in data analytics and reporting within the university.uncw.edu
- Data dictionaryData Sharing - Data Management - LibGuides at University of North Carolina WilmingtonThis page from the University of North Carolina Wilmington provides guidance on best practices for data management and sharing. It covers aspects such as creating data management plans, preparing data for sharing, documenting data with metadata, and choosing appropriate data repositories like UNCW Dataverse. The document includes a checklist for preparing research data to be shared, with a focus on ensuring completeness, documentation, and compliance with legal and ethical standards. There is also advice on copyright, privacy, and security considerations for sharing data.libguides.uncw.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planSoar Higher2023The University of North Carolina Wilmington's Strategic Plan, titled 'Soar Higher', was launched under Chancellor Aswani K. Volety in 2023 with a focus over the next decade. The plan emphasizes strategic investment in people, programs, and infrastructure to ensure students are career-ready and prepared to impact North Carolina and beyond. It is structured around four strategic pillars—Unparalleled Opportunities, National Prominence, Community Commitment, and World-Class Operations—which guide the alignment of priorities, resources, and measurable outcomes.uncw.edu
Notable alumni of UNCW (21)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Lavonne J. AdamsLiterature
- Brandon BeaneSports Management
- John R. Bell, IVPolitics
- Brett BlizzardAthletics
- Devontae CacokAthletics
- Craig CallahanAthletics
- Kona CarmackEntertainment
- Matt FishAthletics
- Chris HatcherAthletics
- Martin JarmondSports Management
- Anna KooimanJournalism
- Matt LutzEntertainment
Frequently asked questions about University of North Carolina Wilmington
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about UNCW.
What is the graduation rate at University of North Carolina Wilmington?
How many students attend University of North Carolina Wilmington?
What is the average net price at University of North Carolina Wilmington?
What is the yield rate at University of North Carolina Wilmington?
Where is University of North Carolina Wilmington located?
Who runs Institutional Research at University of North Carolina Wilmington?
Have a question this page can’t answer?
Ask Clema anything about University of North Carolina Wilmington and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card