Normal
The University is currently operating under normal conditions
By the numbers
Quick facts
- 20,681undergraduate students
- 11,553graduate and professional students
- 1stand only public university in the United States to award degrees in the 18th century
- 66doctoral degree programs and seven professional degree programs
- 82bachelor's degree programs
- 112master's degree programs
- 367,000living alumni in 50 states and D.C. and 147 countries
- 4,234faculty members
- 9,704staff members
The Carolina experience
It's always a great day to be a Tar Heel
“It’s a great day to be a Tar Heel” is a phrase you’ll often hear around Carolina, and for a good reason. Every day, Tar Heels create a positive impact on the world by improving their communities and inspiring change through their talents. They’re artists, scientists, humanitarians, researchers and innovators doing extraordinary things.
Meet some of our students and alumni to find out why every day really is a great day to be a Tar Heel.
Faculty and staff excellence
Established in 1980 by the late C. Knox Massey ’25 of Durham, the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award recognizes “unusual, meritorious or superior contributions” by University employees.
Learn more about the faculty and staff who make Carolina so special.
Timeless Traditions
The nation's first public university, UNC-Chapel Hill is home to centuries-old traditions and experiences that connect generations of Tar Heels.
Watch the Bell Tower lighting the night before the first day of class, go for a stroll on Franklin Street and cheer on the Tar Heels in Kenan Stadium.
Learn more about the places and experiences that make the Tar Heel experience so special.
Two Nobel Laureates
Dr. Aziz Sancar, co-recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Dr. Oliver Smithies (1925-2017), co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Record 73,192 applicants for the Class of 2028
Our newest class is comprised of nearly 5,624 students. Approximately 17.4% of these Tar Heels are the first in their families to attend college.
Student achievement
Accessibility
Carolina is one of the nation’s few public flagship campuses to practice need-blind admissions and make the promise of a Carolina education possible for all students who earn admission, regardless of their financial means.
For nearly two decades, The Carolina Covenant has offered lower-income students who earn admission the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Starting in fall 2024, Carolina will cover out-of-pocket costs for tuition and mandatory fees for North Carolina undergraduates whose families make less than $80,000 per year and have typical assets.
Diversity
At Carolina, diversity and inclusion are about celebrating all members of the community, broadening our collective understanding and fostering a sense of belonging by uplifting different identities, cultures, experiences and perspectives.
Outreach and Service
Students, faculty and staff dedicate thousands of hours each year to helping our communities by performing service projects and participating in outreach programs. One hundred and fifteen students graduated as Buckley Public Service Scholars in 2024, logging more than 63,000 hours of public service.
Carolina also had nearly 65 advisers of the Carolina College Advising Corps serving 81 high schools to support North Carolinians and help students find colleges where they will thrive.
Learn more about Carolina’s service to our state
Behind the numbers
Learn more about UNC Research
Measuring water from space
The first satellite to measure Earth’s surface water launched late 2022, and Carolina professor Tamlin Pavelsky's team is verifying its data.
Forefront of AI
As artificial intelligence opens the door to new opportunities, researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are working across disciplines to use the technology for the greater good.
Aiding NC's opioid response
Researchers across UNC-Chapel Hill are working to help communities understand the opioid epidemic’s effects on their residents and their economy and respond in ways that fit their needs.
INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Carolina is a place where innovators and entrepreneurs make a human, social and economic impact. We make purposeful transformations in the world by putting important ideas to use for the public good.
Learn more
- 1,000+total Carolina-affiliated startups launched
- 539Carolina-affiliated startups headquartered in North Carolina
- $19.4 billionin total funding raised by Carolina startups
- $18.4 billionin annual revenue earned by UNC-Chapel Hill startups (2023)
- 140invention disclosures (FY2022)
- 15,305jobs created for North Carolinians by Carolina-affiliated startups