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
20,681
Undergraduate Students
11,553
Graduate and Professional Students
4,234
Faculty
9,704
Staff
Scholarships and Financial Aid
100%
Carolina meets all of the demonstrated need of undergraduates who apply for financial aid on time
$205M
Undergraduate aid distributed to students through the Office of Scholarship and Aid (2022-23)
~1/10
Undergraduate students is a Carolina Covenant Scholar
>11K
Since 2004, the Carolina Covenant has offered more than 11K lower-income students who earn admission the opportunity to graduate debt-free
Key Stats
367K+
living alumni in 50 states and DC, 147 countries
5th
among public universities and 27th overall in the 2025 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 20th consecutive year.
$1.36B
Carolina receives over one billion dollars annually in research awards and grants
$19.4B
in annual revenue earned by 1,000 Carolina-affiliated startups
11th
among research universities for federal funding devoted to research and development in all fields
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