Match #1
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Profile closeness82/100
Admit rate80%
- 24,453 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 68%, close to 72%
- Same Carnegie classification
The colleges most similar to University of North Carolina Wilmington are University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Appalachian State University, and East Carolina University. University of North Carolina Wilmington admits 64% of applicants and has an average net price of $19,570 a year; 10 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 7 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with University of North Carolina Wilmington. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to University of North Carolina Wilmington
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate90%
- 19,444 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 71%, close to 72%
- Enrollment 19,444 students, close to 14,922
Match #3
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate89%
- 19,896 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Enrollment 19,896 students, close to 14,922
- Average net price $16,880, close to $19,570
Match #4
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, NC
Profile closeness74/100
Admit rate89%
- 14,062 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Enrollment 14,062 students, close to 14,922
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC
Profile closeness73/100
Admit rate82%
- 10,024 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Enrollment 10,024 students, close to 14,922
- Same control type (public)
Match #6
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate50%
- 12,182 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Enrollment 12,182 students, close to 14,922
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #7
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
Profile closeness70/100
Admit rate42%
- 27,371 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC
Profile closeness56/100
Admit rate87%
- 6,081 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Average net price $16,708, close to $19,570
- Same control type (public)
Match #9
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus
Chapel Hill, NC
Profile closeness56/100
Admit rate15%
- 20,752 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Enrollment 20,752 students, close to 14,922
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC
Profile closeness53/100
Admit rate78%
- 4,170 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Same control type (public)
Questions about University of North Carolina Wilmington alternatives
What colleges are similar to University of North Carolina Wilmington?
The closest matches to University of North Carolina Wilmington are University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Western Carolina University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is University of North Carolina Wilmington hard to get into?
University of North Carolina Wilmington admitted 64% of its 15,792 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is moderately selective. 7 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which University of North Carolina Wilmington alternatives cost less?
10 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than University of North Carolina Wilmington ($19,570 a year), including North Carolina A & T State University ($9,884), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus ($11,305), and University of North Carolina at Greensboro ($12,291). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
