North Carolina Wesleyan University

Private · Moderately Selective · NC

Photo: Slmann3 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationNC · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,214

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate29.3%

6-yr grad rate42%

Drop-out rate41.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$36k

Out-of-state tuition$36k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity79.6%

Gender diversity53.1%

International14.2%

IdentityUnited Methodist

Overview

North Carolina Wesleyan University is a Methodist-affiliated university in Rocky Mount, built around career-focused programs rather than a traditional liberal-arts core. It serves both traditional-age residential students and a substantial population of working adults through evening and online formats.

Academics

Business, criminal justice, and exercise science are among the university's most established programs, reflecting its practical, job-oriented approach to the undergraduate degree. The dual residential/adult-education structure means the university runs two somewhat different academic rhythms side by side — traditional daytime classes for residential students and separate evening or online sections for adult learners.

Campus & student life

The residential campus is modest in scale, and athletics has a notable presence in campus identity — NC Wesleyan's baseball program in particular has built a strong reputation within Division III. Rocky Mount itself is a smaller eastern North Carolina city rather than a major metro, so much of student life centers on campus.

Worth knowing

Applicants should be clear about which track they are evaluating — the traditional residential undergraduate experience is one part of a university whose adult-education and online programs serve a large working-adult population on a different schedule entirely.

ncwu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate80.2%

Enrolled mid-50%1010

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying