What SAT or ACT score do you need for UNC Chapel Hill?

As of November 2026: UNC Chapel Hill lists the SAT or ACT as required for the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1370 to 1530. Under the UNC System policy, a score is required for students below a 2.8 weighted GPA and optional at or above it.

The policy, the score bands, the odds, the costs and the next step for families of high school seniors in the 2026-2027 school year.

By Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus. Figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

The middle half of SAT senders scored 1370 to 1530. That is the band for enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in fall 2023. On the ACT, the middle half scored 30 to 34.

A score is required below a 2.8 weighted GPA. UNC Chapel Hill follows the UNC System policy. Students at or above a 2.8 weighted GPA may choose whether to send a score.

Only 18.7 percent of applicants got in. For fall 2023, UNC Chapel Hill had 57,902 applicants and admitted 10,828 of them. A strong score helps a student stand out in a crowd that size.

Does UNC Chapel Hill require the SAT or ACT?

The testing policy as UNC Chapel Hill states it on its own admissions page.

Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Details
Required	2026-2027 academic year and beyond	ACT score of 17 or higher or an SAT score of 930 or higher	Follows the UNC System policy: required below 2.8 weighted GPA, optional at or above. Testing is 'one factor among many' when submitted; no cutoff score for automatic admission or denial.

Required means a score must be sent. Optional means the university reads a score if one is sent.

UNC Chapel Hill: score bands, who sends a score, how many get in, what it costs

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023. Prices are for a year.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	57902
admits, fall 2023	10828
admit rate, percent	18.7
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1370
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1530
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	30
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	29
share who sent an ACT, percent	34
application fee, dollars	85
full price of a year, dollars	26055
average net price after aid, dollars	11655

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent a score in the fall 2023 class, the latest federal numbers. They do not describe admitted students.

UNC Chapel Hill deadlines for fall 2027 entry

The early action date the university lists for fall 2027 entry.

Early action	Regular decision	Source
2026-10-15	--	Source

A blank date is not listed here. Check the university's deadlines page for every round.

Does UNC Chapel Hill require the SAT or ACT?

UNC Chapel Hill lists the SAT or ACT as required for the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond. This applies to high school seniors in the 2026-2027 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

The university follows the UNC System policy. A score is required for students below a 2.8 weighted GPA. A score is optional for students at or above a 2.8 weighted GPA.

The university's page also names a score floor in plain words: an "ACT score of 17 or higher or an SAT score of 930 or higher." That floor is far below where most enrolled students land, as the next sections show. We tell families to read it as a minimum to clear, not as a goal.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years carry at UNC Chapel Hill?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1370 and 1530. These are students in the fall 2023 class, which is the latest federal count.

Keep in mind who is in this band. It counts students who enrolled and chose to send an SAT. It does not count every student who was admitted. A quarter of SAT senders scored below 1370, and a quarter scored above 1530.

We read this band as a picture of the class, not a line your child must clear. A score at 1370 or higher puts your child inside or above the middle of the students who sent one.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years carry at UNC Chapel Hill?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 30 and 34. Like the SAT band, this comes from the fall 2023 class.

A quarter of ACT senders scored below 30, and a quarter scored above 34. A score of 30 or higher places your child inside or above the middle half of submitters.

We do not tell families that one test is easier for this college. We tell them to find the test that fits their child best. A full mock of each test is the fastest way to see that.

How many UNC Chapel Hill first-years send a score?

Among enrolled first-years at UNC Chapel Hill, 29 percent sent an SAT and 34 percent sent an ACT. So the ACT showed up a bit more often than the SAT in that class.

Some students send both tests, so these two shares describe each test on its own. We would not add them together. What they do show is that the ACT is common here, and families in North Carolina should take it seriously alongside the SAT.

Should my child send a score to UNC Chapel Hill?

If your child's weighted GPA is below 2.8, a score is required, so the only question is how strong it is. In that case, we tell families to plan prep early and aim well above the floor of 17 on the ACT or 930 on the SAT.

If your child's weighted GPA is 2.8 or higher, a score is optional. At a selective college like UNC Chapel Hill, we tell families it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

Our rule is simple. A score inside or above the band, which means 1370 or higher on the SAT or 30 or higher on the ACT, is one to send. A score below the band, when sending is optional, is one to think hard about. Often the better move is another round of focused prep and one more sitting.

How hard is it to get into UNC Chapel Hill?

UNC Chapel Hill admitted 18.7 percent of applicants for fall 2023. That year it had 57,902 applicants and admitted 10,828 of them.

Those odds are tight for every student. We tell families to treat a strong test score as one of the few parts of an application a student can still raise in the final months. Grades are mostly set by senior year. A score can still move.

What does it cost to apply to and attend UNC Chapel Hill?

The application fee at UNC Chapel Hill is $85. The full price of a year is $26,055, and the average net price after aid is $11,655.

The average net price is what families paid on average once grants and scholarships came off the full price. Your own family's number may be higher or lower. UNC Chapel Hill publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must, and we tell families to fill it out together at the kitchen table.

When are the UNC Chapel Hill deadlines for fall 2027 entry?

The early action date UNC Chapel Hill lists for fall 2027 entry is October 15, 2026. As of November 2026, that date has passed.

We do not have a regular decision date to share here. We tell families to open the university's deadlines page and write down every date that applies to their child. If your child still plans to apply this cycle, check which test dates fall before the deadline you will use.

What should we do this month?

Sit a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT with Test Prep Gurus this month. Then compare each result with the bands above: 1370 to 1530 on the SAT and 30 to 34 on the ACT.

Pick the test that fits your child better. Then plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Our students prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just one section, so each score they send is their best full picture.

To book a free mock SAT or free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the results with you and help you build a plan.

Questions parents ask

Does UNC Chapel Hill require the SAT or ACT?
UNC Chapel Hill lists the SAT or ACT as required for the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond.

What SAT score do most UNC Chapel Hill students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1370 and 1530.

What ACT score do UNC Chapel Hill students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 30 and 34.

Is a score optional at UNC Chapel Hill for students with good grades?
A score is optional for students at or above a 2.8 weighted GPA.

How hard is it to get into UNC Chapel Hill?
UNC Chapel Hill admitted 18.7 percent of applicants for fall 2023.

How much does UNC Chapel Hill cost?
The full price of a year is $26,055, and the average net price after aid is $11,655.

Method and sources: The testing policy is the one UNC Chapel Hill states on its own admissions page for the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond, including the UNC System rule tied to a 2.8 weighted GPA. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, the latest federal numbers from IPEDS; they do not describe admitted students or set a minimum. Applicant and admit counts come from the same fall 2023 federal numbers, and prices come from the College Scorecard.