University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's acceptance rate is 15.3% (2024). Its six-year graduation rate is 91% and its four-year rate is 84% (2024). In-state tuition and fees are $8,994 and out-of-state tuition and fees are $41,203 (2024). Fall enrollment is 32,438 students, and 35,001 enrolled over the full 12-month year (2024). Source: IPEDS.
About
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university began enrolling students in 1795, making it one of the oldest public universities in the United States.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.9-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 205 Title IV programs, 74 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 131 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing74 · 36.1%
- No Data131 · 63.9%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 34
Action history · 62
- Nov 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- Jul 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
- Mar 2025Renewal of AccreditationCouncil on Education for Public Health · Public Health (PHBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level school of public health
- Feb 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Feb 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Clinical doctoral program in Audiology
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,561 students received $28.8M in Pell grants, alongside $166.8M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 4,034 borrowers who entered repayment, 38 (0.9%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at UNC
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 16
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus87
- Non-campus12
- Public property1
Includes 13 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- National origin13
- Religion7
- Race5
- Sexual orientation3
- Ethnicity1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Cobb1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
- Ehringhaus1 fireMachinery/IndustrialDamage $0-$99
- Baity Hill, Building 19001 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
UNC vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions UNC selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 91% | 15.3% | 32,438 | $11,655 | R1 Research |
Duke University | 97% | 5.7% | 17,499 | $29,612 | R1 Research |
Emory University | 91% | 10.6% | 15,175 | $22,585 | R1 Research |
Johns Hopkins University | 94% | 6.4% | 30,210 | $18,809 | R1 Research |
Northwestern University | 95% | 7.7% | 23,856 | $29,167 | R1 Research |
The University of Texas at Austin | 89% | 26.6% | 53,864 | $19,857 | R1 Research |
University of California-Berkeley | 93% | 11.0% | 45,882 | $13,481 | R1 Research |
University of California-Los Angeles | 93% | 9.0% | 47,335 | $12,548 | R1 Research |
University of Florida | 91% | 24.2% | 56,311 | $6,541 | R1 Research |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 85% | 42.4% | 59,238 | $14,355 | R1 Research |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 93% | 15.6% | 52,855 | $13,138 | R1 Research |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 85% | 58.1% | 35,724 | $30,434 | R1 Research |
University of Virginia-Main Campus | 96% | 16.8% | 26,409 | $21,565 | R1 Research |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 85% | 39.1% | 56,997 | $14,091 | R1 Research |
University of Wisconsin-Madison | 90% | 45.2% | 51,044 | $17,354 | R1 Research |
Vanderbilt University | 94% | 5.9% | 13,575 | $15,846 | R1 Research |
| Peer group median | 92% | 15.5% | 40,803 | $16,600 |
Institutions like UNC
Explore the federal data for institutions in UNC's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchNorth Carolina
Duke University
Grad rate97%Admit rate5.7%Enrollment17,499Net price$29,612 - R1 ResearchGeorgia
Emory University
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.6%Enrollment15,175Net price$22,585 - R1 ResearchMaryland
Johns Hopkins University
Grad rate94%Admit rate6.4%Enrollment30,210Net price$18,809 - R1 ResearchIllinois
Northwestern University
Grad rate95%Admit rate7.7%Enrollment23,856Net price$29,167 - R1 ResearchTexas
The University of Texas at Austin
Grad rate89%Admit rate26.6%Enrollment53,864Net price$19,857 - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of California-Berkeley
Grad rate93%Admit rate11.0%Enrollment45,882Net price$13,481 - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of California-Los Angeles
Grad rate93%Admit rate9.0%Enrollment47,335Net price$12,548 - R1 ResearchFlorida
University of Florida
Grad rate91%Admit rate24.2%Enrollment56,311Net price$6,541 - R1 ResearchIllinois
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate85%Admit rate42.4%Enrollment59,238Net price$14,355 - R1 ResearchMichigan
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Grad rate93%Admit rate15.6%Enrollment52,855Net price$13,138 - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Grad rate85%Admit rate58.1%Enrollment35,724Net price$30,434 - R1 ResearchVirginia
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Grad rate96%Admit rate16.8%Enrollment26,409Net price$21,565 - R1 ResearchWashington
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Grad rate85%Admit rate39.1%Enrollment56,997Net price$14,091 - R1 ResearchWisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grad rate90%Admit rate45.2%Enrollment51,044Net price$17,354 - R1 ResearchTennessee
Vanderbilt University
Grad rate94%Admit rate5.9%Enrollment13,575Net price$15,846
UNC Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) provides data and other types of information about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to support institutional decision making and the achievement of our vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university.
Visit IR office page- Dr. Lynn WillifordAssistant Provost for Institutional Research and Assessment, SACSCOC Liaison
Common Data Set
UNC's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Reports & documents (5)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardoira.unc.edu
- Data dictionaryData Dictionaries2026This document outlines the Data Dictionaries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which cover various domains including Student, HR, Finance, and Others. It is intended to aid data governance efforts and provides resources for accessing and interpreting institutional data.datagov.unc.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFact Books2017The Fact Book is an annual publication by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that provides current facts and figures about various major areas of the University, including student enrollments, faculty/staff characteristics, fiscal resources, and research productivity. Fact Books are available for download from 1986-87 through 2016-17, after which they have been replaced by interactive dashboards.oira.unc.edu
- GlossaryUNC Office of Sponsored Programs - GlossaryThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Office of Sponsored Programs provides a glossary with 76 terms related to the financial and administrative aspects of research programs. Key terms include definitions of essential concepts such as accrual basis accounting, acquisition cost, and allowable costs, along with important processes like budget revisions, clinical trials, and conflict of interest management. This comprehensive glossary serves as a vital resource for understanding the terminology used in research administration.osp.unc.edu
Notable alumni of UNC (24)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Edwin AldermanAcademia
- William Brantley AycockAcademia
- M. Katherine BanksAcademia
- Erskine BowlesAcademia
- Mary Sue ColemanAcademia
- Frank Porter GrahamAcademia
- William C. FridayAcademia
- Terry SanfordPolitics
- Ken JeongEntertainment
- Andy GriffithEntertainment
- Thomas WolfeLiterature
- James K. PolkPolitics
Frequently asked questions about University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
What is the acceptance rate at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
What is the graduation rate at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
How many students attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
What is the average net price at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
What is the yield rate at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
Where is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill located?
Who runs Institutional Research at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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