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

Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Stanford, a private research university in California, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 4.7%, while UNC, a public research university in North Carolina, offers a more accessible admissions process with an acceptance rate of 24.4%. Stanford's student body is smaller and more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while UNC's student body is larger and more representative of the state of North Carolina. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including computer science, engineering, and business at Stanford and biology, psychology, and business at UNC. With impressive graduation rates of 95% and 89% respectively, Stanford and UNC prepare their graduates for successful careers and further education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these two exceptional universities and determine which one aligns best with your academic
Stanford University logo

Stanford University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

Location Stanford, California Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 97.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 3.9% 20.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $125
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1470 - 1570 1140 - 1380
ACT range 34 - 35 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 15.0% 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 11.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 55,471 50,729
Total number of admissions given out 2,190 10,348
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,757 4,690
Yield rate 80.2% 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) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,898
In state: $24,770

Out of state: $52,633
Average net price $14,402 $11,508
Tuition $55,473
In state: $7,019

Out of state: $34,882
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,166

Meal plan: $6,694
Room/dormitory: $6,878

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

61.0%
Average amount $56,211
42.0%
Average amount $16,076
Students receiving federal student loan 5.0%
Average amount $5,151
17.0%
Average amount $4,244
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $17,186
3.0%
Average amount $14,032

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,645
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
19,845
Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students 10,035
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
11,796
Men 41.4% Women 58.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 58.5% 16.2%
International students 24.4% 6.8%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 14,621 9,984
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Washington New York Illinois North Carolina Georgia Maryland New York Pennsylvania

Academics

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

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.5% 90.5%
Dropout rate 1.7% 3.7%
Transferred out 0.6% 5.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,574
  • Year 2: $170,457
  • Year 3: $210,837
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,729
  • Year 2: $168,942
  • Year 3: $203,193
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $164,734
  • Year 2: $163,337
  • Year 3: $187,054
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $137,457
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $173,548
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $136,126
  • Year 2: $136,499
  • Year 3: $165,375
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,556
  • Year 2: $135,709
  • Year 3: $157,500
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,354
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $139,234
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,326
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,185
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,457
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $107,477
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,475
  • Year 2: $85,391
  • Year 3: $104,592
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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