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AlmaSpire

Elon, NC · Private · 6,452 undergraduates · suburban

Elon University

Moderately selective

Elon’s defining feature is an undergraduate experience deliberately built around mentored, high-participation learning outside the classroom.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Well established Strong in career outcomes, and solid in academic standing.
Academic Solid Affordability Emerging Career Strong Mobility Emerging Experience Steady
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Emerging
Career outcomes Strong
Mobility Emerging
Student experience Steady
Admission
67.3% admitted

18,791 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
83%

$74,545 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Elon University apart

Academic design

More than 70 majors span liberal arts, business, communications, education and health sciences, with undergraduate research and faculty mentoring woven into the model.

Campus pattern

Its 700-acre central North Carolina campus is also a botanical garden, creating a highly residential college environment with extensive green space.

Career & value signal

Internships, research, civic engagement, leadership and study away are treated as core parts of the Elon education rather than optional extras.

Can I get in?

67.3% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

18,791

About 67 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 67.3%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1143–1305
10401420
ACT middle 50%23–28
2031

Of admitted students, 2% submitted an SAT, and 1% submitted an ACT. Very few of the admitted class reported a score at all, so the SAT and ACT ranges describe those students rather than the class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA56.5%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Elon University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Elon University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

More than 70 majors span liberal arts, business, communications, education and health sciences, with undergraduate research and faculty mentoring woven into the model.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Elon’s defining feature is an undergraduate experience deliberately built around mentored, high-participation learning outside the classroom.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early DecisionNov 1
Early Decision IIJan 15
Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionJan 10
Fee and waiver$60 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$73,403
Average annual cost after aid$42,000
Affordability profileEmerging

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Elon University publishes five merit awards, the largest reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year. three require a separate scholarship application. All of them renew past the first year.

Reviewed with admission An award reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

Reviewed with admission An award reaching $5,000 to $10,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

Separate scholarship application An award reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year

Through the honors college · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

Separate scholarship application An award reaching $5,000 to $10,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

Separate scholarship application An award reaching $5,000 to $10,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year · Has a dated deadline

In the season card

These five awards, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, what it asks of you, and the date one of them closes - which is usually earlier than the application for admission.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • The deadline 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Elon University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years83%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one90.1%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$74,545

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

Recent graduates167
Median earnings

Admits separately

Marketing

Recent graduates144
Median earnings$95,163

Admits separately

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

Recent graduates138
Median earnings$60,832

Admits separately

Finance and Financial Management Services

Recent graduates134
Median earnings$103,426

Admits separately

Psychology, General

Recent graduates127
Median earnings$69,856

What is campus life like?

Elon University beyond the classroom

Its 700-acre central North Carolina campus is also a botanical garden, creating a highly residential college environment with extensive green space.

Academics

A defining academic feature

More than 70 majors span liberal arts, business, communications, education and health sciences, with undergraduate research and faculty mentoring woven into the model.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Its 700-acre central North Carolina campus is also a botanical garden, creating a highly residential college environment with extensive green space.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Internships, research, civic engagement, leadership and study away are treated as core parts of the Elon education rather than optional extras.

6,452 undergraduatesSoutheastsuburban settingCampus housing available