Admissions Factors
What UNC Chapel Hill Looks For
UNC Chapel Hill rates 7 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, character and personal qualities and state residency.
How UNC Chapel Hill rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
16.7%
12,751 of 76,247 applicants
Early decision admit rate
No early decision
Admitted from the waitlist
39.9%
2,099 of 5,258 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 4.47. 76.2% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does UNC Chapel Hill look for in applicants?
UNC Chapel Hill rates 7 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, character and personal qualities and state residency.
Does UNC Chapel Hill consider legacy status?
UNC Chapel Hill rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does UNC Chapel Hill track demonstrated interest?
UNC Chapel Hill rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is UNC Chapel Hill's waitlist acceptance rate?
5,258 students stayed on the waitlist and 2,099 were admitted, a rate of 39.9%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
Source: UNC Chapel Hill’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
