Test-optional, with exceptions for some programsEA

North Carolina State University

NC · Public · South · National university · Top 100 tier · 28,342 undergraduates (large)

Admission rates

Latest admit rates

Overall admit rate39.5%
Early roundNot reported by roundEarly-round counts not in the CDS
Regular round†Not reported by roundEarly-round counts not in the CDS

† Not reported by round: this school publishes an overall admit rate but not applicant and admit counts for each round, so early and regular rates can’t be shown.

Trends, Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Admission rates

Overall
0%25%50%'22'23'24'2547.0%39.5%no datano data

Early plans

Fall 2027 applicants

Early Action, non-binding · School admissions page ↗What this means:

Testing

Testing policy

Fall 2027
Test-optional, with exceptions for some programsOptional with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or higher; required below 2.8 (UNC System rule)School testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026
Fall 2028
Fall 2028 policy not yet announced.School testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026

Superscoring

What this means:

SAT
Superscores
ACT
Superscores

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Test-optional for fall 2027 entry. All scores encouraged. If you send SAT, ACT and CLT, only the highest composite counts.

How to send scores

Self-report accepted; official scores only after admission/enrollment

Send all scores? Encouraged

School’s words: “Upon admission, you will need to provide an official score that matches that self-reported score after you confirm your enrollment to NC State. ... We encourage you to submit all your scores”

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Students submitting scores

Est. % submitting scores‡53%SAT 13% + ACT 40%

‡ Est. % submitting scores adds the share of enrolled first-years who submitted the SAT to the share who submitted the ACT.

Submitted SAT13%
Submitted ACT40%

Score ranges (middle 50%)

Enrolled first-years who submitted scores, Fall 2025. A quarter scored below the range and a quarter above.

SAT composite
1310–1440 median 1390
10001600
SAT Reading & Writing
650–720 median 690
500800
SAT Math
650–730 median 690
500800
ACT composite
25–32 median 29
2036

Trends, Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Share of enrolled students submitting scores

SAT + ACT (est.)SATACT
0%50%100%'22'23'24'2570.0%53%30.0%13%40.0%40%no datano data

SAT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
160014001200'22'23'24'251260–142014201260no datano data1310–144014401310

ACT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
36322824'22'23'24'2524–313124no datano data25–323225

Waitlist admit rate

Share of students who stayed on the waitlist and were later admitted, by entering class.

  • 2025: 11%

What is a waitlist? How is it different from a deferral?

Test policy in each Common Data Set

History only. The current policy is under Testing above.

  1. Fall 2027 Test-optional2025-26 CDS
  2. Fall 2026 CDS not available2024-25 CDS
  3. Fall 2025 CDS not available2023-24 CDS
  4. Fall 2024 Not reported2022-23 CDSThis form’s own wording says Fall 2023; every CDS here is read as covering the fall two years after its first year.
  5. Fall 2023 CDS not available2021-22 CDS
  6. Fall 2022 CDS not available2020-21 CDS
  7. Fall 2021 CDS not available2019-20 CDS

Sources