SAT middle 50%: 1280-1450 (EBRW 640-710, Math 640-740)
ACT middle 50%: 28-32
Average unweighted GPA: ~3.8 (weighted avg 4.09; 67% had 4.0+ weighted)
Top 10% of HS class: ~40% (estimated from available data)
First-gen: 13% of Class of 2028
Demographics (undergraduate)
White 58%, Asian 13%, Hispanic 10%, Black 6%, International 5%, Multiracial 5%
Women: 43.3% of undergrad enrollment
Total undergrad enrollment: 31,035
Net Cost by Income (in-state, Title IV recipients)
Income
Net Price
$0-30K
$11,138
$30-48K
$14,010
$48-75K
$19,067
$75-110K
$23,808
$110K+
$26,200
Athletics
NCAA Division I, ACC
22 varsity sports
731 student-athletes (414 men, 317 women)
Athlete pct of undergrad: 2.4%
Notable
Top-20 public university, #6 undergraduate engineering (no PhD required)
Strong Corps of Cadets tradition (one of six senior military colleges)
Record 57,622 applications for Fall 2025 (10.2% increase over prior year)
North Carolina State University (NC State)
Admissions (Class of 2028, Fall 2024)
Total applicants: 44,109 (record high)
Admitted: 18,382
Acceptance rate: 42% overall; ~48% EA, ~38% RD
Enrolled: ~5,700 freshmen (10,647 total new students incl. transfers)
Yield rate: 31%
Early round: EA (non-restrictive), priority deadline Oct 15
Testing policy: Test-optional (weighted GPA 2.8+ to qualify)
Academic Profile (enrolled students)
SAT middle 50%: 1290-1440 (65% submitted scores)
ACT middle 50%: 28-32 (29% submitted scores)
Average unweighted GPA: 3.83; 77% had 3.75+ GPA
Top 10% of HS class: ~40%
Top 25% of HS class: 79%
Demographics (undergraduate, 2024-2025)
White 60%, Asian 9%, Hispanic 8%, Black 6%, International 5%, Multiracial 5%
Women: ~50% of enrollment
Total enrollment: 38,464; international: 3,733 (9.7%, mostly graduate)
Net Cost by Income (in-state, Title IV recipients)
Income
Net Price
$0-30K
$7,285
$30-48K
$9,887
$48-75K
$15,084
$75-110K
$19,541
$110K+
$22,677
Athletics
NCAA Division I, ACC
22 varsity sports
701 student-athletes (412 men, 289 women)
Athlete pct of undergrad: 2.3%
Notable
Top-5 undergraduate engineering among public universities
Centennial Campus: 1,300-acre research park with 70+ partners
Strong CS, textiles, and agricultural programs
Largest freshman class in North Carolina for fifth consecutive year
Students from 99 NC counties, 46 states, 43 countries
Comparison
Metric
Virginia Tech
NC State
Acceptance rate
55%
42%
SAT middle 50%
1280-1450
1290-1440
ACT middle 50%
28-32
28-32
Avg UW GPA
3.8
3.83
Yield rate
25%
31%
Freshman class
7,289
~5,700
Women %
43%
50%
Net cost ($0-30K)
$11,138
$7,285
Net cost ($110K+)
$26,200
$22,677
Both are ACC flagship publics with top engineering programs. NC State is slightly more selective (42% vs 55%) with better financial aid for low-income students. Virginia Tech has a larger freshman class but lower yield. Test score profiles are nearly identical.