Princton vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)

Princeton University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Princeton, an Ivy League university, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 5.8%, while UNC-Chapel Hill, a public research university, offers a more accessible admissions process with an acceptance rate of 24.4%. Princeton's student body is smaller and more diverse, with 5,261 undergraduates representing 50 states and 78 countries, while UNC-Chapel Hill's student body is larger and more regionally diverse, with 19,116 undergraduates primarily from North Carolina. Both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors at Princeton including computer science, economics, and molecular biology, and popular majors at UNC-Chapel Hill including business administration, biology, and psychology. With graduation rates of 97% and 89% respectively, both universities ensure that their students are well
Princeton University logo

Princeton University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

Location Princeton, New Jersey Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus setting City: Small City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.4% 20.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1140 - 1380
ACT range 33 - 35 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 56.0% 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 35.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 37,601 50,729
Total number of admissions given out 1,647 10,348
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,290 4,690
Yield rate 78.3% 45.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,490
In state: $24,770

Out of state: $52,633
Average net price $20,908 $11,508
Tuition $56,010
In state: $7,019

Out of state: $34,882
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,690

Meal plan: $7,490
Room/dormitory: $6,878

Meal plan: $5,004
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

65.0%
Average amount $47,136
42.0%
Average amount $16,076
Students receiving federal student loan 2.0%
Average amount $5,278
17.0%
Average amount $4,244
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $8,938
3.0%
Average amount $14,032

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,321
Men 50.3% Women 49.7%
19,845
Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students 3,157
Men 58.3% Women 41.7%
11,796
Men 41.4% Women 58.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 82.6% 16.2%
International students 22.8% 6.8%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 5,151 9,984
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New Jersey California New York Pennsylvania Texas North Carolina Georgia Maryland New York Pennsylvania

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Physical Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 5:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 97.6% 90.5%
Dropout rate 1.9% 3.7%
Transferred out N/A 5.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $122,809
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $181,687
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,130
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $85,666
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,831
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $66,134
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,473
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,463
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,879
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: N/A
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,447
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: N/A
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,198
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: N/A
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $168,979
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $238,213
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,965
  • Year 2: $127,836
  • Year 3: $150,089
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,248
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $128,102
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,961
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $117,488
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,271
  • Year 2: $86,036
  • Year 3: $96,602
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,162
  • Year 2: $72,083
  • Year 3: $95,204
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,938
  • Year 2: $73,823
  • Year 3: $89,917
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,557
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $87,057
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,899
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $86,155
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,205
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $82,520

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