National university
#5 Best colleges for nursing in AmericaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $11,655 a year
Median debt at graduation: $14,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Carolina Virtual Information SessionNovember 12, 2026 · 4:00 PM · VirtualMore about Carolina Virtual Information SessionAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#4 of 950
- Best colleges for nursing in America#5 of 1,068
- Best colleges for business in America#16 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#14 of 1,318
- Best large colleges in America#3 of 256
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#17 of 1,238
Show 27 more
- Best value colleges in America#12 of 674
- Best colleges in America#33 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#29 of 1,481
- Best colleges for psychology in America#28 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#29 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#27 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#32 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#32 of 1,247
- Best value colleges in the South in America#4 of 153
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#32 of 1,215
- Best colleges for music in America#29 of 1,063
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#32 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#32 of 1,116
- Best colleges for engineering in America#25 of 749
- Best colleges for computer science in America#26 of 750
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#66 of 1,829
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#28 of 690
- Best colleges for economics in America#32 of 788
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#28 of 681
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#18 of 367
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#38 of 682
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#40 of 684
- Best colleges under $20,000 a year in America#13 of 197
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#45 of 598
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#54 of 693
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#58 of 704
- Most selective colleges in America#58 of 683
In North Carolina
- Best colleges for business in North Carolina#1 of 49
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in North Carolina#1 of 42
- Best colleges in North Carolina#3 of 55
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in North Carolina#3 of 55
- Best test-optional colleges in North Carolina#3 of 54
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in North Carolina#1 of 17
Show 27 more
- Best colleges for psychology in North Carolina#3 of 51
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in North Carolina#3 of 50
- Best colleges for nursing in North Carolina#2 of 33
- Best value colleges in North Carolina#1 of 16
- Best value colleges in the South in North Carolina#1 of 16
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in North Carolina#1 of 16
- Best colleges for education in North Carolina#3 of 47
- Best colleges for English in North Carolina#3 of 47
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in North Carolina#1 of 15
- Best colleges for history in North Carolina#3 of 45
- Best colleges for mathematics in North Carolina#3 of 45
- Best colleges for music in North Carolina#3 of 44
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in North Carolina#3 of 42
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in North Carolina#3 of 42
- Best colleges for chemistry in North Carolina#3 of 41
- Best colleges for art and design in North Carolina#3 of 39
- Best large colleges in North Carolina#1 of 9
- Best colleges for engineering in North Carolina#2 of 17
- Best colleges for economics in North Carolina#3 of 25
- Best colleges for computer science in North Carolina#3 of 24
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in North Carolina#3 of 19
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in North Carolina#3 of 18
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in North Carolina#3 of 18
- Most selective colleges in North Carolina#3 of 18
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in North Carolina#3 of 17
- Best colleges under $20,000 a year in North Carolina#2 of 9
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in North Carolina#4 of 17
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.91%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.97%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,439 · ACT 31
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.15 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$33,767
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $26,055 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 20,681 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 39% · Women 61% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 20% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 16% |
| Total students | 32,234 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $11,655 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $26,055 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $14,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 91% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 85% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 85% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 81% |
| First-year retention | 97% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $72,200 |
| Admission rate | 15% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $85 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 20% |
| Average SAT | 1439 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 690–750 |
| SAT math | 700–780 |
| ACT composite | 28–34 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Exceptional · Top 1% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Business administration | |
| Applied mathematics | |
| Health administration | |
| Economics | |
| Physics | |
| Mathematics | |
| Information science | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | |
| Nursing | |
| Human resources | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Dental assisting | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Political science | |
| Philosophy | |
| Communication studies | |
| Area studies | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Chemistry | |
| Romance languages | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Biology | |
| Music | |
| History | |
| Psychology | |
| Anthropology | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Linguistics | |
| Religious studies | |
| Sociology | |
| English | |
| Geography | |
| Teacher education | |
| Fine arts | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Archeology, Behavioral Sciences, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Broadcasting, Classics, Foods, Nutrition,, Geology and earth science, Journalism, Neuroscience, Other physical sciences, Public health, Statistics.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Social sciences | |
| Business | |
| Communication | |
| Interdisciplinary studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $13,804 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 15 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 78%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $169,789IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 48% of studentsBeds ÷ undergraduates; not how many live on campus |
| Nearest major airport | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)About 15 miles away |
| Town population | 61,607Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | DurhamAbout 10 miles away |
| Typical weather | 40°F in January · 79°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Chapel Hill 2 W, NC |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.13 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.18 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.44 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 2% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $11,655 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill admitted 15% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s graduates do?
- 91% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $72,200; the median federal debt at graduation is $14,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 199120
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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