UNC Asheville: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

University of North Carolina Asheville

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The University of North Carolina Asheville is a public liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 84%. As the designated liberal arts college of the University of North Carolina system, UNC Asheville's focus is almost entirely on undergraduate education, so students can expect more interaction with the faculty than at many large state universities. In athletics, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs compete in the NCAA Division I Big South Conference.

Considering applying to UNC Asheville? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, UNC Asheville had an acceptance rate of 84%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 84 students were admitted, making UNC Asheville's admissions process somewhat competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 3,750
Percent Admitted 84%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 21%

SAT Scores and Requirements

UNC Asheville requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 63% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 560 650
Math 530 620
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that most of UNC Asheville's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to UNC Asheville scored between 560 and 650, while 25% scored below 560 and 25% scored above 650. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 530 and 620, while 25% scored below 530 and 25% scored above 620. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1270 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at UNC Asheville.

Requirements

UNC Asheville does not require the SAT writing section. Note that UNCA participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates.

ACT Scores and Requirements

UNC Asheville requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 60% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English 21 28
Math 19 26
Composite 22 27

This admissions data tells us that most of UNC Asheville's admitted students fall within the top 36% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to UNC Asheville received a composite ACT score between 22 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 22.

Requirements

UNC Asheville does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, UNCA superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA of UNC Asheville's incoming freshmen class was 3.42, and over 46% of the incoming class had average GPAs of 3.5 and above. This information suggests that most successful applicants to UNC Asheville have primarily high B grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

UNC Asheville Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
UNC Asheville Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of North Carolina Asheville. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

UNC Asheville, which accepts over three-quarters of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the school's average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. Keep in mind, however, that UNC Asheville has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside UNC Asheville's average range.

In the graph above, the green and blue dots represent accepted students. As you can see, the majority of accepted students had a GPA of "B+" or higher, an SAT score (ERW+M) above 1100, and an ACT composite score of 23 or higher. Chances of admission improve with numbers above this lower range.

If You Like UNC Asheville, You May Also Like These Schools

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and UNC Asheville Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "UNC Asheville: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/unc-asheville-gpa-sat-act-data-786680. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 26). UNC Asheville: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/unc-asheville-gpa-sat-act-data-786680 Grove, Allen. "UNC Asheville: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/unc-asheville-gpa-sat-act-data-786680 (accessed March 28, 2024).