Admissions & selectivity
North Carolina Central University Acceptance Rate & Admissions
What is the acceptance rate at North Carolina Central University?
North Carolina Central University’s reported acceptance rate is 87.0%.
- Acceptance rate · Fall 2024
- 87.0%
Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.
How to interpret the acceptance rate
North Carolina Central University admits 87.0% of applicants, close to the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).
What SAT and ACT scores do North Carolina Central University students report?
Enrolled students who submitted ACT scores at North Carolina Central University landed in a middle range from 19 to 22. That span tracks the 25th through 75th percentiles of the recent enrolled group who chose to submit test results.
The numbers mark where the center of that subgroup fell, not a minimum the university sets for admission. Applicants can compare their own ACT scores to the university’s 19 to 22 band.
The range reflects enrolled students who submitted scores, so it leaves out students who enrolled without submitting ACT results. It is a snapshot of recent submitters, not a required threshold for admission.
The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at North Carolina Central University. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle.
- 25th percentile
- 19
- 75th percentile
- 22
Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff.
Figures cover fall 2024.
Who enrolls at North Carolina Central University?
- Pell Grant recipients
- 58.7%
- Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group
- 27.6%
- First-year retention
- 72.7%
Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.
About these student measures
The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.
North Carolina Central University is a public university in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 6,081 undergraduates. It admits 87.0% of applicants, against a median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).
The undergraduate body includes a substantial share of Pell Grant recipients, at 58.7%, and an estimated 27.6% who arrive as transfers or part-time students. The campus is shaped by multiple entry points rather than a single traditional path.
Applicants who are Pell-eligible should use the cost calculator to estimate their own grant-adjusted price.
Of full-time bachelor's-seeking students who start at North Carolina Central University, 72.7% return for a second year. The six-year graduation rate for that cohort is 41.6%.
Retention runs close to the peer median of 73.7%, while the graduation rate sits below the comparable-institution median of 49.1%. Pell recipients in the same entering cohort complete at 52.4%, which is 10.8 percentage points above the overall rate.
Enrolled students can expect a campus where Pell students finish at a higher rate than their peers.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.