Quick Facts
The Nation's FIRST Public University
Old East cornerstone laid on October 12, 1793
Community
Carolina is part of the vibrant Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County communities. Chapel Hill routinely ranks as one of the best college towns and places to live in the United States, a reputation bolstered by a wide range of cultural, social and intellectual opportunities that span the campus and community. Chapel Hill is part of the nearby Research Triangle Park region (including Raleigh and Durham), known for world-class health care and groundbreaking research.
Demographics
20,454
Undergraduate Students
>12k
Graduate and Professional Students
3,903
Faculty
9,023
Staff
Scholarships and Financial Aid
100%
Carolina meets all of the demonstrated need of undergraduates who apply for financial aid on time
$156M
Distributed per year from various undergraduate grant and scholarship programs through the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid
~1/10
Undergraduate students is a Carolina Covenant Scholar
>10K
Since 2004, the Carolina Covenant has offered more than 10K lower-income students who earn admission the opportunity to graduate debt-free
Key Stats
361K+
living alumni in 50 states and DC, 161 countries
4th
among public universities and 22nd overall in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report “Best College” rankings. Carolina has been among the Top 5 public universities for 23 consecutive years and remains the No. 1 best value among public universities for the 19th consecutive year
$1.2B
Carolina receives over one billion dollars annually in research awards and grants
$18.4B
in annual revenue earned by 911 UNC startups
13th
in annual research volume among U.S. public and private universities (Source: National Science Foundation)
4,000+
undergraduates participate in original research in courses and mentored experiences in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and professional schools
2 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