Getting in
For Fall 2024, 26,369 first-year students applied to East Carolina, 23,527 were admitted and 4,022 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 89.2%.
Source: ECU Common Data Set 2024-2025 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2024
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 17,413 | 16,367 | 94% |
| Out-of-state | 8,643 | 6,867 | 79.5% |
| International | 313 | 292 | 93.3% |
Source: ECU Common Data Set 2024-2025 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. ECU's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by college or major.
Source: ECU Common Data Set 2024-2025 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early plans. ECU has no early decision or early action plan. It admits on a rolling basis, and its November 1 priority deadline is an earlier filing date, not an early decision.
Source: ECU Common Data Set 2024-2025 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to ECU as a freshman. One program has its own step:
- Honors College. Submit your completed ECU application by November 1, 2026, with transcripts and any test scores received by then. Eligible students are invited to complete the Honors College application by December 1, 2026.
Source: ECU Undergraduate Admissions, Freshmen (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
75 majors across 7 schools. Every bachelor's degree program in ECU's official Degree Explorer, grouped by the college that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Minors, certificates and graduate programs are left out.
Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences28
- Anthropology (Bachelor of Arts)
- Applied Sociology (Bachelor of Science)
- Biochemistry (Bachelor of Science)
- Biology (Bachelor of Arts)
- Biology (Bachelor of Science)
- Chemistry (Bachelor of Arts)
- Chemistry (Bachelor of Science)
- Community and Regional Planning (Bachelor of Science)
- Criminal Justice and Criminology (Bachelor of Science)
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (Bachelor of Science)
- Economics (Bachelor of Science)
- English (Bachelor of Arts)
- Environmental Studies (Bachelor of Science)
- Foreign Languages and Literatures (Bachelor of Arts)
- Geography and Geospatial Data Science (Bachelor of Science)
- History (Bachelor of Arts)
- Mathematics (Bachelor of Arts)
- Mathematics (Bachelor of Science)
- Multidisciplinary Studies (Bachelor of Science)
- Neuroscience (Bachelor of Science)
- Philosophy and Religious Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
- Physics (Bachelor of Science)
- Political Science (Bachelor of Arts)
- Political Science (Bachelor of Science)
- Professional Writing and Information Design (Bachelor of Science)
- Psychology (Bachelor of Arts)
- Security Studies (Bachelor of Science)
- University Studies (Bachelor of Science)
Source: ECU Degree Explorer, undergraduate programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Business8
- Accounting (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration)
- Entrepreneurship (Bachelor of Science)
- Finance (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration)
- Hospitality Management (Bachelor of Science)
- Management (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration)
- Management Information Systems (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration)
- Marketing (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration)
- Supply Chain Management (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration)
Source: ECU Degree Explorer, undergraduate programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Education4
- Elementary Education (K-6) (Bachelor of Science)
- Middle Grades Education (Bachelor of Science)
- Secondary Education (Bachelor of Science)
- Special Education (Bachelor of Science)
Source: ECU Degree Explorer, undergraduate programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Engineering & Technology10
- Computer Science (Bachelor of Science)
- Construction Management (Bachelor of Science)
- Design (Bachelor of Science)
- Distribution and Logistics (Bachelor of Science)
- Engineering (Bachelor of Science)
- Industrial Engineering Technology (Bachelor of Science)
- Industrial Technology (Bachelor of Science)
- Information and Cybersecurity Technology (Bachelor of Science)
- Interior Design and Fashion Merchandising (Bachelor of Science)
- Software Engineering (Bachelor of Science)
Source: ECU Degree Explorer, undergraduate programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Fine Arts and Communication7
- Art (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
- Art Education (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
- Communication (Bachelor of Science)
- Dance (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
- Music (Bachelor of Music)
- Music Education (Bachelor of Music)
- Theatre Arts (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
Source: ECU Degree Explorer, undergraduate programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Health and Human Sciences17
- Birth through Kindergarten (B-K) Professional Studies (Bachelor of Science)
- Child Life (Bachelor of Science)
- Clinical Laboratory Science (Bachelor of Science)
- Environmental Health (Bachelor of Science)
- Exercise Physiology (Bachelor of Science)
- Family and Community Services (Bachelor of Science)
- Health Information Management (Bachelor of Science)
- Health Services Management (Bachelor of Science)
- Nutrition and Dietetics (Bachelor of Science)
- Physical Education and Coaching Science (Bachelor of Science)
- Public Health (Bachelor of Science)
- Recreation, Park, and Sport Management (Bachelor of Science)
- Recreational Therapy (Bachelor of Science)
- Rehabilitation Services (Bachelor of Science)
- Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
- Speech and Hearing Sciences (Bachelor of Science)
- Sport Performance Science (Bachelor of Science)
Source: ECU Degree Explorer, undergraduate programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Nursing1
- Nursing (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)
Source: ECU Degree Explorer, undergraduate programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority freshman deadline | November 1, 2026 | not published | No |
| Merit scholarship eligibility deadline | December 15, 2026 | not published | No |
| Final freshman priority deadline | April 1, 2027 | not published | No |
ECU offers rolling admission: once your application is complete, it is reviewed and a decision is sent, so ECU encourages early applications and publishes no decision dates. You can apply through the ECU Application, CFNC or the Common App; the application fee is $75, nonrefundable.
Source: ECU Undergraduate Admissions, Freshmen (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Test-optional for most applicants, but not all: students with a weighted high school GPA below 2.8 must submit an ACT or SAT score. With a weighted GPA of 2.8 or higher, a test score is not required.
Source: ECU Undergraduate Admissions, Freshmen (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set marks the SAT or ACT as required for some fall 2026 applicants, for the same reason: a weighted GPA below 2.8.
Source: ECU Common Data Set 2024-2025 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked East Carolina's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: ECU Undergraduate Admissions, Freshmen (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at East Carolina, 2026-2027:
| Item | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees (including the $185 orientation fee) | $7,789 | $24,555 |
| Food | $5,521 | $5,521 |
| Housing | $6,699 | $6,699 |
| Books and supplies | $1,570 | $1,570 |
| Personal expenses | $2,067 | $2,067 |
| Transportation | $2,380 | $2,380 |
| Loan fee | $58 | $58 |
| Total | $26,084 | $42,850 |
ECU's estimate for an entering undergraduate living on campus.
Source: ECU Office of Student Financial Aid, Estimated Cost of Attendance (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $10,046 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $11,699 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,904 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,417 |
| Over $110,000 | $23,028 |
| All incomes | $15,739 |
What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from ECU's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to East Carolina University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC · Public90.1% admitted$16,836 average net price
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA · Public92.3% admitted$23,433 average net price
George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA · Public86.5% admitted$17,915 average net price
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC · Public77.8% admitted$15,435 average net price
Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · Public86.4% admitted$13,787 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.