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Enrollment

Final fall enrollment figures will not be available until mid-September. Below are final numbers from fall 2010 as a point of reference.

Undergraduate: 18,579
Graduate: 8,325
Professional: 2,486
Total: 29,390

Estimated fall 2011 first-year class breakdown

Carolina admitted an extraordinarily talented and diverse group of students – one of best first-year classes, admissions officials say. The estimated 3,990 young men and women have distinguished themselves academically and in leadership, service, athletics and the arts.

(The following numbers and percentages are preliminary and may change in mid-September when enrollment statistics are finalized.)

Admitted first-year students hail from 95 N.C. counties, 41 states, the District of Columbia and 22 countries including the United States.

Number applied: 23,733, a sixth consecutive record
Number admitted:  7,450, 31.3 percent of those who applied
Number expected to enroll: 3,990, 53.5 percent of those admitted
First-generation college students: 18.3 percent

Of the 73.4 percent who reported rank in high school graduating class:

•    10th or higher: 42.5 percent (42 percent in 2010)
•    First or second: 12 percent (11.9 percent in 2010)
•    In top 10 percent: 79.7 percent (78.2 percent in 2010)

SAT Scores

The middle 50 percent of enrolled first-year students taking the SAT scored between 1810 and 2080 on the three components together (perfect is 2400). The middle 50 percent scored as follows on the components (800 is perfect for each):

Critical reading: 590-700
Writing: 580-690
Math: 610-710

ACT Scores
The middle 50 percent of applicants taking the ACT scored between 28 and 32 (perfect is 36).

Extracurricular activities

•      94 percent of the enrolling first-year students have volunteered in their communities
•      53 percent have traveled outside the United States
•      16 percent have achieved fluency in other languages
•      49 percent were presidents of classes or clubs
•      25 percent conducted research outside the classroom

Diversity

The following comprises all race/ethnicities that members of the incoming class reported. The U.S. Department of Education allows students to report more than one category of race/ethnicity.

Annual cost of attendance for undergraduates taking 12 hours or more,  2011-2012

In-state tuition and fees: $7,008
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $26,834

Room (on-campus): $5,520
Board (on-campus): $3,950
Estimated books and supplies: $1,150
Health insurance: $926

Total in-state cost of attendance:  $20,660
Total out-of-state cost of attendance:  $41,140

Financial aid

The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid will disburse more than $150 million in aid this fall to about 18,600 students. Though the percentage of undergraduate students qualifying for need-based aid is at an all-time high of 42 percent, staff are seeing little change from last year in either the number of students qualifying or the amount of aid for which they are eligible – a change after sharp increases over the past three years.

The first-year class continues to reflect the economic diversity that is a hallmark of the University. Including first-year students and transfers, 565 admitted new students have been deemed eligible for the Carolina Covenant Scholars program, the eighth Covenant class to enroll. That compares with 563 new Covenant Scholars last year.

The Covenant is a promise to qualified low-income students that, if they are admitted through the normal process, the University will make it possible for them to graduate debt-free. Since the program began in 2004, 2,900 students have benefited. 

Covenant Scholars continue to perform well and have made great gains over the last few years as measured by both retention and graduation rates. For a report, visit http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/files/2010/reportcard.swf

Before the Covenant, only about 4 percent of entering first-year classes were low-income students; this fall, administrators expect 12 percent. For more information, visit  http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/.

Academic Calendar

Fall 2011 Semester Key Dates

For more 2011-2012 dates, visit http://registrar.unc.edu/ccm/groups/public/@registrar/documents/content/ccm1_042529.pdf

Contact: LJ Toler, (919) 962-8589; cell (919) 219-6374