Facts and figures

  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, prepares talented students from different perspectives and life experiences to become creators, explorers, entrepreneurs and leaders.
  • Carolina’s innovative teaching, campus-wide spirit of inquiry and dedication to public service continue a legacy that began when the University first opened its doors to students in 1789.
  • In Chapel Hill, students develop a voice for critical thought and the courage to guide change. They connect to the future they’re already shaping and prepare with one another to solve the grand challenges of our time.
  • Carolina is passionately public and committed to ensuring that every student who earns admission can come to our campus and thrive, and to making an affordable, high-quality education accessible to North Carolina families.
  • Our world-class research, over a billion-dollar enterprise, has quadrupled over the past two decades, firmly establishing Carolina as one of America’s top-ranked research institutions. That success spurs opportunity and innovation that grows North Carolina’s economy, creates jobs and supports Tar Heel businesses.
  • Our students, faculty and staff are on the cusp of exciting breakthroughs in cancer, environmental challenges, chronic diseases, as well as data and computer science.
  • Through Carolina Across 100, a five-year initiative, we partner with communities in all 100 counties to address critical issues facing North Carolinians, including youth unemployment and suicide prevention.
  • That progress comes as we aspire to follow Carolina Next: Innovations for Public Good, a strategic plan developed to guide our journey to become the leading global public research university.
  • In its third century – an era of groundbreaking study and discovery – UNC-Chapel Hill is harnessing the very best of our fast-changing world. We’re proud to advance knowledge for this and each generation to come.
  • Today, we offer 78 bachelor’s, 113 master’s, 66 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through the College of Arts & Sciences and 14 schools, including the new School of Data Science and Society, to prepare students for successful careers in a rapidly changing workforce.
  • More than 361,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and 149 countries. Over 190,00 of those graduates are North Carolinians.
  • Carolina was listed 4th among public universities and 22nd overall in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report “Best College” rankings. We’ve been among the top 5 public universities for 23 consecutive years. The University also remained the No. 1 best value among public universities for the 19th consecutive year.
  • Numerous graduate programs also are highly ranked – 21 were in the top 10 nationally – by US. News & World Report for the 2024 edition of “Best Graduate Schools.” For the 6th consecutive time, the Gillings School of Global Public Health ranked 2nd out of all U.S. schools and public health programs while remaining the top public school of public health.
  • In 2021, three students and alumni received prestigious Rhodes Scholarships to study at Oxford University. That was the first time in our history that three Tar Heels were selected as Rhodes Scholars in the same year. We’ve produced 54 Rhodes Scholars since 1902.
  • Over 150 faculty are members of the national academies and distinguished learned societies. Two professors became Nobel laureates – Dr. Aziz Sancar, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and the late Dr. Oliver Smithies, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
  • Our researchers are on the cusp of exciting breakthroughs and provide world-class expertise in the search to cure cancer, chronic diseases, gene therapies, environmental challenges, coastal resilience, population studies and data and computer science.
  • Research funding at Carolina totaled $1.12 billion in 2023. We currently rank as the 13th largest U.S. research university in volume and annual expenditures and 10th for total federal research funding among universities.
  • 475 UNC-Chapel Hill-affiliated start-ups are based in 31 North Carolina counties. Nearly 12,000 North Carolinians are employed by our start-up companies across the state.
  • During the global pandemic, our campus emerged as a global leader in COVID-19 research, leading to milestones including a $65 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create the Antiviral Drug Discovery Center, one of nine established by the NIH. The center will develop oral antivirals that can combat pandemic-level viruses.
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration awarded up to $50 million over five years to UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University to create the Research Triangle Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation. Collaborators will include N.C. State and N.C. Central universities. The center, one of five, will work with FDA scientists to conduct research and share knowledge that will help better inform regulatory decisions and improve public health.
  • The School of Government provides education and training to 12,000 public officials from all 100 counties every year.
  • Carolina Across 100, a five-year campus-wide initiative, aims to form meaningful partnerships in all 100 counties to respond to statewide challenges stemming from or exacerbated by COVID-19. “Our State, Our Work” connects unemployed and underemployed young adults with better jobs in response to disruptions in the U.S. labor market. A new “Our State, Our Wellbeing” program will work with local communities to identify and implement strategies to prevent suicide and improve resources available for mental and behavioral health.
  • UNC Health is North Carolina’s largest academic health system with 15 hospitals, 19 hospital campuses and more than 900 clinics statewide that serve 1.7 million patients annually.