North Carolina State University
NC State publishes 40% (Fall 2025). In-state applicants got in at 46%; international at 25%.
Acceptance rate
What NC State's 40% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits NC State reports itself.
Transfer
Fall 2025 transfer entrants (CDS Section D2) · as of August 2026 · 1.14× easier than first-year
Read the transfer analysis →Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Flexible for 2026-27
- Policy
"NC State is test optional for applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above" — those applicants are not disadvantaged by omitting scores. Below that GPA threshold the page implies scores factor in more, so this is a GPA-gated (test-flexible) policy rather than a blanket test-optional one. SAT, ACT, or CLT accepted; superscored.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1300–1470sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 28–32
- Average HS GPA
- 3.83Fall 2024 entering class (CDS 2024-25, item C12) · Source
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 1, 2026 (materials due Nov 10, 2026; NC-resident decisions by end of Dec, others by Jan 31, 2027) (EA)
- Regular decision
- Jan 15, 2027 (materials due Feb 1, 2027; decisions Mar 31, 2027)Source
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 27,371
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $32,847
- Category
- Public
- Admissions site
- www.ncsu.edu
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- NC State test policy (2026-27)
- NC State deadlines
- NC State GPA (Fall 2024 entering class (CDS 2024-25, item C12))
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
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