UNC Chapel Hill & William & Mary -- Research Notes

unc_wm.md

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Type: Public flagship (NCAA D1, ACC)
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Overall acceptance rate: 15.3% (Class of 2029 cycle, 84,317 applicants)
EA acceptance rate: ~23% (includes recruited athletes in early round)
In-state vs OOS: ~38% in-state, ~8% out-of-state. State mandate caps OOS enrollment at 18% of incoming class.
SAT middle 50: 1400-1530; ACT middle 50: 28-34
Yield: 45% (very high for a public)
Class size: 5,094 first-year (largest ever, Fall 2024)
Total undergrad enrollment: ~21,075
Testing policy: Test-optional; 28% submitted SAT, 41% submitted ACT
GPA: Average weighted 4.49; 97% had 4.0+ weighted

White: 54%, Asian: 14%, Black: 8%, Hispanic: 10%, International: 8%, Multiracial: 5%
Women: 61%
Post-SFFA: Black enrollment dropped from ~10% to ~8%, Hispanic from ~11% to ~10%

Carolina Covenant: debt-free for families at/below 200% poverty (~$26K median income)
Net price by income (IPEDS, Title IV recipients):
$0-30K: $4,026
$30K-48K: $6,063
$48K-75K: $11,060
$75K-110K: $18,354
$110K+: $22,235

Category: public_elite -- among the most selective public universities in the US
The in-state mandate makes overall acceptance rate misleading for simulation; OOS rate is Ivy-comparable at ~8%
Very high yield (45%) compared to peer publics
EA is non-restrictive, no ED offered
Strong financial aid for low-income (Carolina Covenant)

White: 61%, Asian: 10%, Black: 7%, Hispanic: 9%, International: 5%, Multiracial: 6%
Women: 60%
33% of Class of 2029 identify as students of color

Category: public_elite -- very selective for a public, though less so than UNC
Offers both ED and EA (non-restrictive); ED multiplier ~1.3x (49% vs 37%)
Notably high athlete percentage (8.4%) given small enrollment
Strong liberal arts identity within public university framework
Second-oldest college in US (1693)
Similar SAT profile to UNC (1400-1530) despite higher acceptance rate