How to get into NC State
What 125 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 164 NC State results that students posted for the 2016 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to NC State? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
NC State admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.96
Middle half 3.85 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,510
Middle half 1,443 to 1,550
Median ACT
34
Middle half 33 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.52
Middle half 4.32 to 4.67
Results posted: 125 admitted, 17 rejected, 22 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the NC State acceptance rate; the official rate is in NC State’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.96 | 3.52 |
| SAT | 1,510 | 1,490 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What NC State admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service68%
- Work/Job45%
- Tutoring/Teaching44%
- Athletics42%
- Music41%
- STEM club/competition40%
- Research34%
- Coding/Tech34%
Held a leadership role
84%
Founded something
41%
National or intl. award
68%
Did research
34%
Intended majors of NC State admits
- Computer Science26%
- Engineering23%
- Biology5%
- Data Science5%
- Business4%
- Math4%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 5% first-generation, 3% low income, 13% underrepresented minority, 10% legacy, 5% recruited athlete and 5% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 4% chose NC State.
Three recent NC State admits
2026 cycle · EA · Computer Science
Women in STEM and CS leader who built clubs, a hackathon, and a study-space website.
GPA 3.90 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
2026 cycle · Engineering
Robotics team member with FTC awards, a paid restaurant job, and a co-founded movie club; applied mostly to Big Ten schools.
GPA 3.88 UW · SAT 1490 · ACT 31 · Original post
2026 cycle · Engineering
Student-led edtech developer and robotics programming captain who also cofounded an innovation group.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
Where else NC State admits got in
NC State admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into NC State?
- Among 125 applicants who posted a NC State admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.96 and the middle half reported 3.85 to 4.00 (108 reported a GPA). NC State sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for NC State?
- Among 125 applicants who posted a NC State admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,510 and the middle half scored 1,443 to 1,550 (82 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do NC State admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (68%), work/job (45%), tutoring/teaching (44%), athletics (42%). 84% held at least one leadership role and 68% listed a national or international award.
- What is the NC State acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by NC State in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to NC State?
A Specialist who got into a school like NC State can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with NC State. All colleges