The average acceptance rate at ECU over the past 10 years is 83.28%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 89.21%. The acceptance rate at ECU is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 3 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 26.46%, and the 2025 yield is 17.10%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 53.71% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of ECU applicants increased by 18.30% (4,080 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 56.30% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 89.21%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that ECU is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 17.10%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at ECU. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, ECU received approximately 26,369 applications, admitted 23,524 students, and enrolled 4,022 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that ECU is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
ECU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at ECU over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 3 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 83.28%, while the most recent rate stands at 89.21%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 89.21%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 82.06% and for women is 84.03%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at ECU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 69.04% | 68.67% | 69.27% |
| 2016-17 | 70.34% 1.31% |
69.78% 1.11% |
70.71% 1.44% |
| 2017-18 | 79.02% 8.68% |
78.14% 8.36% |
79.58% 8.87% |
| 2018-19 | 82.20% 3.18% |
81.08% 2.94% |
82.91% 3.33% |
| 2019-20 | 78.72% -3.48% |
77.10% -3.98% |
79.75% -3.16% |
| 2020-21 | 87.92% 9.20% |
86.03% 8.93% |
89.04% 9.29% |
| 2021-22 | 94.00% 6.08% |
91.99% 5.97% |
95.00% 5.96% |
| 2022-23 | 92.34% -1.66% |
90.73% -1.26% |
93.36% -1.64% |
| 2023-24 | 90.06% -2.28% |
88.76% -1.97% |
90.86% -2.51% |
| 2024-25 | 89.21% -0.85% |
88.29% -0.47% |
89.85% -1.00% |
| Average | 83.28% | 82.06% | 84.03% |
ECU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 36.94% in 2015 to 17.10% in 2025, representing a 53.71% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 26.46%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at ECU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 53.71% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 36.94% | 39.53% | 35.27% |
| 2016-17 | 35.92% -1.02% |
37.93% -1.60% |
34.60% -0.67% |
| 2017-18 | 34.80% -1.11% |
37.11% -0.83% |
33.38% -1.23% |
| 2018-19 | 29.03% -5.78% |
31.74% -5.36% |
27.34% -6.03% |
| 2019-20 | 28.82% -0.20% |
31.53% -0.21% |
27.16% -0.19% |
| 2020-21 | 23.19% -5.63% |
24.69% -6.84% |
22.34% -4.82% |
| 2021-22 | 20.00% -3.19% |
22.00% -2.68% |
19.00% -3.34% |
| 2022-23 | 19.19% -0.82% |
21.10% -0.90% |
18.10% -0.90% |
| 2023-24 | 19.63% 0.45% |
22.09% 0.99% |
18.12% 0.02% |
| 2024-25 | 17.10% -2.54% |
18.86% -3.23% |
16.10% -2.02% |
| Average | 26.46% | 28.66% | 25.14% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 19,882, the average number of admitted is 16,752, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 4,153.
The number of ECU applicants increased by 18.30% (4,080 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 56.30% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at East Carolina University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 16,871 | 11,647 | 4,302 |
| 2016-17 | 17,099 1.35% |
12,028 3.27% |
4,320 0.42% |
| 2017-18 | 15,860 -7.25% |
12,533 4.20% |
4,362 0.97% |
| 2018-19 | 17,499 10.33% |
14,384 14.77% |
4,175 -4.29% |
| 2019-20 | 19,235 9.92% |
15,141 5.26% |
4,364 4.53% |
| 2020-21 | 20,313 5.60% |
17,859 17.95% |
4,142 -5.09% |
| 2021-22 | 21,898 7.80% |
20,584 15.26% |
4,117 -0.60% |
| 2022-23 | 21,383 -2.35% |
19,744 -4.08% |
3,788 -7.99% |
| 2023-24 | 22,289 4.24% |
20,073 1.67% |
3,941 4.04% |
| 2024-25 | 26,369 18.30% |
23,524 17.19% |
4,022 2.06% |
| Average | 19,882 | 16,752 | 4,153 |
The following table compares East Carolina University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina University | 90.06% | 89.21% | -0.94% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 41.74% | 39.85% | 4.74% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 15.34% | 18.74% | -18.14% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 79.60% | 80.21% | -0.76% |
| Appalachian State University | 90.14% | 88.64% | 1.69% |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | 64.24% | 74.01% | -13.20% |
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