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 8.6-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
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, 4,639 students received $26.8M in Pell grants, alongside $73.3M 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 campus36
- Non-campus1
- Public property2
Includes 18 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Sexual orientation1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Seahawk Crossing #41 fireCookingDamage $100-$999
- Seahawk Landing 21 fireCooking1 injured · 0 deathsDamage $1,000-$9,999
Data quality: 4 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 | $20,109 | R2 Research |
| 82% | 38.6% | 18,816 | $21,620 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 31.3% | 23,069 | $16,665 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 65% | 85.0% | 26,323 | $21,637 | R1 Research | |
| 67% | 77.7% | 21,026 | $22,408 | R2 Research | |
| 49% | 95.9% | 10,811 | $16,784 | R1 Research | |
| 75% | 65.8% | 19,938 | $17,890 | R1 Research | |
| 69% | 72.4% | 13,906 | $16,467 | R1 Research | |
| 65% | 83.0% | 16,598 | $17,163 | R2 Research | |
| 72% | 72.2% | 17,210 | $21,440 | R2 Research | |
| 60% | 98.8% | 10,619 | $19,858 | R2 Research | |
| 65% | 93.2% | 14,710 | $21,193 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 89% | 34.1% | 9,818 | $19,096 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 69% | 75.0% | 17,210 | $19,858 |
Institutions like UNCW
Explore the federal data for institutions in UNCW's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchNew York
Binghamton University
Grad rate82%Admit rate38.6%Enrollment18,816Net price$21,620View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Grad rate86%Admit rate31.3%Enrollment23,069Net price$16,665View data - R1 ResearchOhio
Ohio University-Main Campus
Grad rate65%Admit rate85.0%Enrollment26,323Net price$21,637View data - R2 ResearchNew Jersey
Rowan University
Grad rate67%Admit rate77.7%Enrollment21,026Net price$22,408View data - R1 ResearchMontana
The University of Montana
Grad rate49%Admit rate95.9%Enrollment10,811Net price$16,784View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of California-Santa Cruz
Grad rate75%Admit rate65.8%Enrollment19,938Net price$17,890View data - R1 ResearchMaryland
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Grad rate69%Admit rate72.4%Enrollment13,906Net price$16,467View data - R2 ResearchMassachusetts
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Grad rate65%Admit rate83.0%Enrollment16,598Net price$17,163View data - R2 ResearchRhode Island
University of Rhode Island
Grad rate72%Admit rate72.2%Enrollment17,210Net price$21,440View data - R2 ResearchSouth Dakota
University of South Dakota
Grad rate60%Admit rate98.8%Enrollment10,619Net price$19,858View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsWashington
Western Washington University
Grad rate65%Admit rate93.2%Enrollment14,710Net price$21,193View data - R2 ResearchVirginia
William & Mary
Grad rate89%Admit rate34.1%Enrollment9,818Net price$19,096View data
UNCW Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) provides leadership and expertise related to institutional data and information, strategic planning, and institutional effectiveness. In pursuit of accountability, integrity, and transparency, OIRP supports comprehensive research-based planning and evaluation processes which provide the university stakeholders with accurate information for data-informed decisions.
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
UNCW's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C122,359 applied → 14,472 admitted (64.7%) → 3,109 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 64.7% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT None–None (median 1301).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 24–29 (median 26).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $27,489 (2025-2026).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $27,489 → about $17,539 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($9,950); 57% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H110% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H552% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $27,014 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 72%; first-year retention 88%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 5 pts below the overall rate (66% vs 72%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I333% of classes have under 20 students; 10% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~14% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B22% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B116,131 undergraduates and 3,764 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D13,755 transfer applicants → 3,415 admitted (91.0%) → 2,034 enrolled
Source publications
Reports & documents (7)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboarduncw.edu
- Data definitionData Definitions | UNCWThis page provides definitions for commonly used institutional research terms at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. These definitions include key terms like class levels, course levels, credentials, and more, which are essential for understanding institutional data and academic structures.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
- Data dictionaryData Definitions | UNCWThe Data Definitions page at University of North Carolina Wilmington provides definitions for commonly used institutional research terms, aiding in understanding terminologies within institutional research such as API, census, GPA, cohort, and more. The site includes a comprehensive A to Z list of definitions, each accessible through an accordion-style interface, designed for ease of navigation and access to detailed descriptions.uncw.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryInstitutional Data & Assessment | UNCWThe 'Institutional Data & Assessment' page of UNCW focuses on the importance of data as an asset, promoting transparency, accessibility, and systematic planning for continuous improvement. It highlights the functions of Institutional Research & Planning, data and analytics, assessment & evaluation, and accreditation efforts, describing the university's commitment to maintaining compliance and enhancing effectiveness through strategic planning and data-informed decisions.uncw.edu
- Strategic planSoar Higher2023The University of North Carolina Wilmington has launched its 'Soar Higher' strategic plan under the leadership of Chancellor Aswani K. Volety. The plan will guide the university's growth and development from 2023 to 2033, focusing on strategic investments in people, programs, and campus infrastructure. Built on four main pillars, the plan aims to enhance student success and institutional strength, with a commitment to evolve as new initiatives arise.uncw.edu
Notable alumni of UNCW (28)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Brandon BeaneAthletics
- John R. Bell, IVPolitics
- Brett BlizzardAthletics
- Devontae CacokAthletics
- Craig CallahanAthletics
- Kona CarmackEntertainment
- Chris HatcherAthletics
- Anna KooimanJournalism
- Matt LutzEntertainment
- Jill MikuckiScience
- Hekuran MuratiPolitics
- Evan PhillipsAthletics
Frequently asked questions about University of North Carolina Wilmington
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about UNCW.
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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