Despite the unprecedented challenges of this academic year, the UNC System welcomed a record-setting class this fall. This marks the third year in a row that the system has reached record-high enrollment.
There are now 242,464 students enrolled across the UNC System — an increase of 1 percent compared to 2019’s enrollment of 239,981. Undergraduate enrollment is up 0.2 percent, while graduate enrollment increased by 4 percent.
“It’s a remarkable achievement, and it reflects the determination of our students, the dedication of our faculty and staff, and the enduring value of public higher education,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “Every one of those students is making a critical investment in their own future and in the future of our state.”
Record enrollment reflects an ongoing commitment to keep North Carolina’s public universities affordable for students of all backgrounds, especially those from low-income families and rural counties. Welcoming and graduating more students from every part of the state is a core goal of the UNC System’s Strategic Plan. Another major factor in growing enrollment is improved retention — ensuring that students already enrolled remain on track to graduation.
Fall 2020 marks the fourth year that in-state undergraduate tuition has remained flat across the UNC System. Students have also benefited from two affordability initiatives passed by the General Assembly in 2016. The NC Promise Tuition Plan reduced in-state tuition to $500 per semester and out-of-state tuition to $2,500 per semester at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Elizabeth City State University and Western Carolina University. The fixed tuition program ensures tuition costs at all of the state’s public universities will hold steady for North Carolina residents through four years of continuous enrollment.
Eight institutions all have record enrollments (Appalachian State University, Fayetteville State University, N.C. A&T State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, UNC Pembroke, UNC Wilmington, and Western Carolina University). Four institutions have enrolled their largest new transfer class ever (ECSU, NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UNC Pembroke).
UNC Asheville experienced a 6.6% drop in enrollment, the largest among any of the UNC System campuses.
