UNC Chapel Hill and NC State require the SAT or ACT only when a student's weighted GPA falls below 2.8; Duke and Wake Forest are fully test-optional for 2026-27. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 7 colleges North Carolina families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers. The bottom rows show the score-based money North Carolina families can earn: Park Scholarships and Levine Scholars.
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University | 1510-1570 · enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1550); 48% submitted SAT | 34-35 | 5.2% · fall 2025 | Test-optional |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 1400-1530 · enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1470); 28% submitted SAT | 29-34 | 16.7% · fall 2025 | Required for some (weighted GPA below 2.8 needs SAT 930+ or ACT 17+) |
| Wake Forest University | 1420-1490 · enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1450); 24% submitted SAT | 32-34 | 20.8% · fall 2025 | Test-optional |
| NC State University | 1310-1440 · enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1390); 13% submitted SAT | 25-32 | 39.5% · fall 2025 | Required for some (weighted GPA below 2.8 needs SAT/ACT) |
| UNC Charlotte | 1150-1340 · enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1250); 16% submitted SAT | 21-27 | 77.8% · fall 2025 | Required for some |
| Appalachian State University | 1110-1270 · enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 | 20-27 | 93.9% · fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 | Required for some (UNC System rule) |
| East Carolina University | 1060-1220 · enrolled, CDS 2024-25, fall 2024 (median 1150); 10% submitted SAT | 19-25 | 89.2% · fall 2024 | Required for some |
| Park Scholarships | No published cutoff | See program rules | ~$129,000 in-state / ~$244,000 out-of-state over 4 years | Full tuition, fees, room, board, books, travel, and a computer for about 38 awarded students per class at NC State |
| Levine Scholars | 2026 finalists averaged 1431 SAT (test-optional) | See program rules | ~$129,000 NC / ~$192,000 out-of-state over 4 years | Full tuition, housing, meals, fees, summer and civic funding at UNC Charlotte for 22 scholars per class |
Cohort notes: Duke: Duke is test-optional for students applying for admission in 2026-2027. UNC Chapel Hill: Only 28% of UNC-CH enrollees submitted an SAT score, since a test is required only below a 2.8 weighted GPA. Wake Forest: Wake Forest has been test-optional since 2008, and only 24% of enrollees submitted an SAT score. NC State: NC State admitted about 46% of in-state applicants versus 34% of out-of-state applicants in Fall 2025. UNC Charlotte: UNC Charlotte's in-state acceptance rate (82.6%) is well above its out-of-state rate (66.9%). App State: App State admitted 93.9% of applicants in Fall 2025, with little gap between in-state and out-of-state rates. ECU: ECU's figures are from Fall 2024 because its 2025-26 CDS was not yet posted as of Oct 9 2026. These are not interchangeable measures.
Free tool
Which of these numbers is your teen's target? Pick the North Carolina colleges on their list and get a target score and the gap from today's score in under a minute.
Find my teen's target scoreDuke reports a 1510 to 1570 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1550); 48% submitted SAT). It admitted 5.2% of 55,541 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 34-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. Duke is test-optional for students applying for admission in 2026-2027.
UNC Chapel Hill reports a 1400 to 1530 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1470); 28% submitted SAT). It admitted 16.7% of 76,247 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 29-34. Testing for fall 2027: Required for some (weighted GPA below 2.8 needs SAT 930+ or ACT 17+). Only 28% of UNC-CH enrollees submitted an SAT score, since a test is required only below a 2.8 weighted GPA.
Wake Forest reports a 1420 to 1490 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1450); 24% submitted SAT). It admitted 20.8% of 19,600 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 32-34. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. Wake Forest has been test-optional since 2008, and only 24% of enrollees submitted an SAT score.
NC State reports a 1310 to 1440 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1390); 13% submitted SAT). It admitted 39.5% of 49,350 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 25-32. Testing for fall 2027: Required for some (weighted GPA below 2.8 needs SAT/ACT). NC State admitted about 46% of in-state applicants versus 34% of out-of-state applicants in Fall 2025.
UNC Charlotte reports a 1150 to 1340 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, CDS 2025-26, fall 2025 (median 1250); 16% submitted SAT). It admitted 77.8% of 27,218 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 21-27. Testing for fall 2027: Required for some. UNC Charlotte's in-state acceptance rate (82.6%) is well above its out-of-state rate (66.9%).
App State reports a 1110 to 1270 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). It admitted 93.9% of 22,184 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 20-27. Testing for fall 2027: Required for some (UNC System rule). App State admitted 93.9% of applicants in Fall 2025, with little gap between in-state and out-of-state rates.
ECU reports a 1060 to 1220 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, CDS 2024-25, fall 2024 (median 1150); 10% submitted SAT). It admitted 89.2% of 26,369 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 19-25. Testing for fall 2027: Required for some. ECU's figures are from Fall 2024 because its 2025-26 CDS was not yet posted as of Oct 9 2026.
North Carolina has no SAT-cutoff state scholarship; its best-known score-tied money is the competitive full-ride programs at NC State and UNC Charlotte.
Park Scholarships: No published cutoff. Full tuition, fees, room, board, books, travel, and a computer for about 38 awarded students per class at NC State.
Levine Scholars: 2026 finalists averaged 1431 SAT (test-optional). Full tuition, housing, meals, fees, summer and civic funding at UNC Charlotte for 22 scholars per class.
Both programs are competitive, not automatic, with nomination and supplemental-application deadlines in October and November. Neither publishes a hard SAT cutoff; the 1431 SAT figure is only the average among 2026 Levine finalists.
Duke and Wake Forest are test optional for fall 2027, so many families assume the score is irrelevant. The ranges above come from the students who chose to send one, and they sit well above the overall class. UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC Charlotte and App State still require a score. A strong score is one more reason for a school to say yes, and a weak one can simply stay home.
Only if your student's weighted GPA is below 2.8, and then they need SAT 930+ or ACT 17+. At 2.8 or above, scores are optional. Among Fall 2025 enrollees, 28% sent SAT scores and 41% sent ACT scores, and the middle 50% SAT of submitters was 1400-1530.
About 37% for Fall 2025 (6,605 of 17,846 NC applicants), against about 9.6% for out-of-state applicants and 16.7% overall.
The state gives the ACT, not the SAT, to all 11th graders at school. The 2026-27 windows are Feb 23 to Mar 5, Mar 9 to 19, and Apr 6 to 16, 2027. In 2025-26 the 11th-grade average was 18.4, and 55% scored 17 or higher, the UNC System minimum.
No. North Carolina has no statewide scholarship tied to test scores. Its main state award, the Next NC Scholarship, is need-based: at least $5,000/year at UNC System schools for households with AGI of $80,000 or less and SAI of 7,500 or less.
Yes. In Fall 2025, NC State admitted about 46% of NC applicants and 34% of out-of-state applicants, 39.5% overall. The enrolled class's weighted GPAs ran 4.2-4.5.
No. A middle 50% describes the central half of the reported group, not an admission cutoff. Some rows describe enrolled students or score submitters only, as labeled. A position within a range does not guarantee admission or merit aid.
University and state sources: Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, NC State, UNC Charlotte, App State, ECU, Park Scholarships, Levine Scholars. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
Want the plan for North Carolina specifically? See SAT prep in North Carolina, or turn your teen's current score and college list into a prep plan on a free Strategy Session: book yours here.
Free Strategy Session, 45 to 60 minutes. Their score today, the target for their North Carolina schools, and the plan to close the gap. Yours to keep either way.
Book your free Strategy Session