University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Carolina’s vibrant people and programs attest to the University’s long-standing place among leaders in higher education since it was chartered in 1789 and opened its doors for students in 1795 as the nation’s first public university. Situated in the beautiful college town of Chapel Hill, N.C., UNC has earned a reputation as one of the best universities in the world. Carolina prides itself on a strong, diverse student body, academic opportunities not found anywhere else, and a value unmatched by any public university in the nation.

UNC-Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, ranks among the world’s leading research universities. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education.

Now in its third century, the University offers 78 bachelor’s, 112 master’s, 68 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. More than 29,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students learn from a faculty of 3,600. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in all 100 counties. Carolina’s 282,886 alumni live in all 50 states and more than 140 countries.

• Arts

• Biological and Health Sciences

• Education

• Humanities

• Journalism and Mass Communication

• Mathematics, Computing, and Engineering

• Physical Sciences

• Social Sciences

• Business

Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly on December 11, 1789, the university's cornerstone was laid on October 12, 1793, near the ruins of a chapel, chosen because of its central location within the state. Beginning instruction of undergraduates in 1795, UNC is one of the oldest public universities in the United States and the only such institution to confer degrees in the eighteenth century.

During Civil War, North Carolina Governor David Lowry Swain persuaded Confederate President Jefferson Davis to exempt some students from the draft, so the university was one of the few in the Confederacy that managed to stay open. However, Chapel Hill suffered the loss of more of its population during the war than any village in the South, and when student numbers did not recover, the university was forced to close during Reconstruction from December 1, 1870 until September 6, 1875.

Despite initial skepticism from university President Frank Porter Graham, on March 27, 1931, legislation was passed to group UNC with the State College of Agriculture and Engineering and Woman's College of the University of North Carolina to form the Consolidated University of North Carolina.In 1963, the consolidated university was made fully coeducational, although most women still attended Woman's College for their first two years, transferring to Chapel Hill as juniors, since freshmen were required to live on campus and there was only one women's dorm. As a result, Woman's College was renamed the "University of North Carolina at Greensboro", and the University of North Carolina became the "University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill." In 1955, UNC officially desegregated its undergraduate divisions.

During World War II, UNC at Chapel Hill was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Programwhich offered students a path to a Navy commission.

During the 1960s, the campus was the location of significant political protest. Prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, protests about local racial segregation which began quietly in Franklin Street restaurants led to mass demonstrations and disturbance. The climate of civil unrest prompted the 1963 Speaker Ban Law prohibiting speeches by communists on state campuses in North Carolina. The law was immediately criticized by university Chancellor William Brantley Aycock and university President William Friday, but was not reviewed by the North Carolina General Assembly until 1965. Small amendments to allow "infrequent" visits failed to placate the student body, especially when the university's board of trustees overruled new Chancellor Paul Frederick Sharp's decision to allow speaking invitations to Marxist speaker Herbert Aptheker and civil liberties activist Frank Wilkinson; however, the two speakers came to Chapel Hill anyway. Wilkinson spoke off campus, while more than 1,500 students viewed Aptheker's speech across a low campus wall at the edge of campus, christened "Dan Moore's Wall" by The Daily Tar Heel for Governor Dan K. Moore. A group of UNC students, led by Student Body President Paul Dickson, filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court, and on February 20, 1968, the Speaker Ban Law was struck down.

From the late 1990s and onward, UNC expanded rapidly with a 15% increase in total student population to more than 28,000 by 2007. This was accompanied by the construction of new facilities, funded in part by the "Carolina First" fundraising campaign and an endowment that increased fourfold to more than $2 billion in just ten years. Professor Oliver Smithies was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2007 for his work in genetics.

Notable leaders of the university include the 26th Governor of North Carolina, David Lowry Swain (president 1835–1868); and Edwin Anderson Alderman (1896–1900), who was also president of Tulane University and the University of Virginia. The current chancellor is Carol Folt, the first woman to hold the post.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097; telephone number [404] 679-4501) to award bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees. 

There are 32 residence halls on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill, divided into 13 different residential communities. A residential community may contain one or several buildings and has a dedicated staff including a Community Director, Community Manager, Resident Advisors and Office Assistants.

All Residence Halls

•   Double (or higher) Occupancy  $2,964/student/semester ($5,928/year)

•   Single Occupancy  $3,513/semester ($7,026/year)

•   Super Suites (in Morrison) $3,281/student/semester ($6,562/year)

Undergraduate Apartments in Ram Village (Junior and Senior Priority)

•   Apartments with 2 students per bedroom; sharing kitchen and bathroom(s) with another student(s) $3,393/student/semester ($6,786/year)

•   Apartments with private bedrooms; sharing kitchen and bathroom(s) with another student(s) $3,662/student/semester ($7,324/year)

•   One-bedroom private apartment $4,114/semester ($8,228/year)

Undergraduate Apartments in Odum Village

Undergraduate student regular term is 4.5 months/resident/semester (9 months per year)

•   Private bedroom in a 1 BR/1 BA furnished apartment with kitchen $3,662/semester ($7,324/year)

•   Private bedroom in a 2 BR/1 BA furnished apartment with kitchen $3,168/student/semester ($6,336/year)

Graduate and Professional Student Apartments in Odum Village

Graduate student extended term is 5 months/semester (10 months per year)

•   Private bedroom in a 1 BR/1 BA furnished apartment with kitchen $4,050/student/semester ($8,100/year)

•   Private bedroom in a 2 BR/1 BA furnished apartment with kitchen $3,556/student/semester ($7,112/year)

Graduate and Professional Student Apartments at 1101 Mason Farm Road

Graduate student extended term is 5 months/semeseter (10 months per year)

•   Private bedroom in a 1 BR furnished apartment with kitchen $4,114/semester ($8,228/year)

•   Private bedroom in a 2 BR furnished apartment with kitchen $3,662/student/semester ($7,324/year)

•   Private bedroom in a 2 BR-small furnished apartment with kitchen $3,393/student/semester ($6,786/year)

Student Family Housing (Baity Hill at Mason Farm Community)

•   2 BR/2 BA apartment $1,015/month

•   2 BR/1 BA apartment $1,000-1,010/month

•   1 BR/1 BA apartment $935-$950/month

Carolina’s Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) give students a unique, inclusive residential learning experience that connects classroom learning with residence life. Students enjoy all the usual advantages of living on campus in a residence hall, with the added benefit of living among a group of students eager to make connections and explore their passions and interests. The activities and involvement expected of Living-Learning Community residents vary from group to group. In general, participants can expect to make a commitment of 2-4 hours each week dedicated to meeting on a regular basis with the group, planning and participating in seminars and discussion groups, leading social events, and interacting with faculty. 

Hungry? Carolina Dining Services offers plenty of dining options on campus, including two main dining halls: Top of Lenoir and Rams Head Dining Hall.

Top of Lenoir is conveniently smack dab in the middle of campus, while Rams Head sits in the southern part.But no matter where you go, you’ll walk in to find made-from-scratch dishes for well-balanced and delicious meals. We think you’re going to like this stuff: healthy entrees, rotisserie or smoked meats, homestyle vegetables, wood-fired pizzas, vegetarian options, and even international dishes. And it’s a well-known fact that everything tastes better when you’re in a relaxed setting, hanging out with friends.Purchasing a meal plan at these dining halls is a quick and easy way for students living on-campus to refuel whenever they need to. There are three types of meal plans: unlimited plan, value plan and block plan. For detailed information about meal plan options, visit the website for Carolina Dining Services. Aside from the two main dining halls, there are also many retail dining options on campus – including Subway, Freshens, Wendy’s, and Alpine Bagel.Throughout campus, you’ll also find on-campus convenience stores, as well as online delivery, for even more options on what to eat.

CHAPEL HILL TRANSIT

Chapel Hill Transit provides service between UNC, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro. These buses are free and run frequently throughout the day. Park & Ride lots make it easy for those not within walking distance of a bus stop to use transit. On-campus circulators – U and RU routes – run throughout the day from early morning to early evening during the weekdays, with reduced service during weekends and UNC academic breaks.Safe Ride is a late night bus that runs Thursday – Saturday from 11:00 p.m. until 2:30 a.m.  These Chapel Hill Transit buses provide services from Franklin Street down MLK, Jr. Boulevard, NC 54 East, and Smith Level Road.

POINT-TO-POINT (P2P)

P2P provides fare-free services for UNC students, faculty, and staff. P2P Express serves UNC Residence Halls, Franklin Street and Granville Towers, running 7 days a week, 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. P2P also provides on-demand rides to and from Campus Health Services, the RR lot, the undergrad and law libraries, as well as ADA accessible services and Emergency Ride Back for CAP members.

Academic Year Parking

Student permits for the academic year are available through a lottery system. On-line registration for the lottery begins in July prior to the start of the fall semester. The number of permits available to students is broken down by school program and/or class. Available permits are assigned randomly after the close of the on-line registration by school/class. Students who do not receive a permit are put on the waiting list for the permit they requested.

Students can purchase parking permits during the school year in student parking zones that do not have a waitlist. Students living off-campus (commuters) can purchase S11 permits (Manning Drive) located on South Campus adjacent to the Smith Center. The S11 lot is served by the fare free CHT U Route and RU Route that loop campus. Students living in UNC Housing (residents) can purchase an RR permit (Estes Drive). The RR lot is a gated lot located 1.5 miles from campus. The RR lot is served by the fare free CHT NU Route that travels from main campus to the gated lot. 

Organizations and activities

Most student organizations at UNC are officially recognized and provided with assistance by the Carolina Union, an administrative unit of the university. Funding is derived from the student government student activity fee, which is allocated at the discretion of the student congress.

The largest student fundraiser, the UNC Dance Marathon, involves thousands of students, faculty, and community members in raising funds for the North Carolina Children's Hospital. The organization conducts fundraising and volunteer activities throughout the year and, as of 2008, had donated $1.4 million since its inception in 1999.

The University is also noted for its Campus Y, the social justice hub on campus that houses many service and internationally focused organizations. The Campus Y was founded in 1859, and is noted as a "leader in on-campus discussion and dialogue and off-campus service and activism". The Campus Y was at the center of many progressive movements within the university, including the racial integration of the student body, the effort to improve wages and working conditions for University employees,and the establishment of the Sonja Haynes Stones Center for Black Culture and History. The Y is a collection of many UNC specific and outside organizations, such as Carolina Kickoff, STAND, Nourish International, Carolina Microfinance Initiative, Homeless Outreach & Poverty Eradication (HOPE), and Project Literacy.

The student run newspaper The Daily Tar Heel is ranked highly by The Princeton Review, and received the 2004–5 National Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press. Founded in 1977, WXYC 89.3 FM is UNC's student radio station that broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Programming is left up to student DJs. WXYC typically plays little heard music from a wide range of genres and eras. On November 7, 1994, WXYC became the first radio station in the world to broadcast its signal over the internet.  A student-run television station, STV, airs on the campus cable and throughout the Chapel Hill Time Warner Cable system. Founded in 1948 as successor to the Carolina Magazine, the Carolina Quarterly, edited by graduate students, has published the works of numerous authors, including Wendell Berry, Raymond Carver, Don DeLillo, Annie Dillard, Joyce Carol Oates, and John Edgar Wideman. Works appearing in the Quarterly have been anthologized in Best American Short Stories and New Stories from the South and have won the Pushcart and O. Henry Prizes.

The Residence Hall Association, the school's third-largest student-run organization, is dedicated to enhancing the experience of students living in residence halls. This includes putting on social, educational, and philanthropic programs for residents; recognizing outstanding residents and members; and helping residents develop into successful leaders. The organization is run by 8 student executive officers; 16 student governors that represent each residence hall community; and numerous community government members. RHA is the campus organization of NACURH, the largest student organization in the world. In 2010 the organization won the national RHA Building Block Award, which is awarded to the school with the most improved RHA organization. At the end of each semester, students organize a flash mob dance party in the library.

Can you sweat Carolina blue?

Before you learn which bone the leg bone is connected to in Anatomy or what the true meaning of life is in Philosophy class, you’ll have to learn some very important information as a Carolina student – the words to the alma mater – Hark the Sound – and the motions to the Carolina cheers. You’ll need these tools as you stand beside your classmates cheering on student-athletes as they compete in UNC’s 28 varsity athletic programs. The first time you link arms with friends and fellow Tar Heels at a sporting event to sing and celebrate another Carolina Victory will be a memory to cherish forever.

Even if you’re not a varsity student-athlete, there are still plenty of ways to represent UNC on the field/court/track. You could join one of our 50 sport clubs, or grab some friends to form an intramural team. Inner tube water polo, anyone? No matter your level of experience, there is a place at Carolina for you to keep up with the sports you love and try something new with friends. If organized sports aren’t your thing, you can head over to one of the fitness facilities on campus to use state-of-the-art equipment or learn some new moves in a group fitness class. If all else fails, nothing beats going for a run around campus on a sunny morning.

The athletic teams at the university are supported by the Marching Tar Heels, the university's marching band. The entire 275-member volunteer band is present at every home football game, and smaller pep bands play at all home basketball games. Each member of the band is also required to play in at least one of five pep bands that play at athletic events of the 26 other sports. At Carolina, athletics help our students not only grow stronger physically, but also grow stronger as a community, because what better way to bond with others than sprinting from the Dean Dome to Franklin Street to celebrate the biggest victories of the year? Go Heels. Hark the Sound.

 UNC has a regional theater company in residence, the Playmakers Repertory Company, and hosts regular dance, drama, and music performances on campus. The school has an outdoor stone amphitheatre known as Forest Theatre used for weddings and drama productions. Forest Theatre is dedicated to Professor Frederick Koch, the founder of the Carolina Playmakers and the father American folk drama.

Many fraternities and sororities on campus belong to the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), Interfraternity Council (IFC), Greek Alliance Council, and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). As of spring 2010, eighteen percent of undergraduates were Greek (1146 men and 1693 women out of 17,160 total). The total number of community service hours completed for the 2010 spring semester by fraternities and sororities was 51,819 hours (average of 31 hours/person). UNC also offers professional and service fraternities that do not have houses but are still recognized by the school. Some of the campus honor societies include: the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Order of the Grail-Valkyries, the Order of the Old Well, the Order of the Bell Tower, and the Frank Porter Graham Honor Society.

Student government at Carolina is composed of an executive branch headed by the student body president, a legislative branch composed of a student-elected student congress, and a judicial branch which includes the honor court and student supreme court. The Judicial Reform Committee created the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance, which outlined the current Honor Code and its means for enforcement in 1974. Currently, Carolina boasts one of the only student-run judicial systems in the nation. All academic and most conduct violations are handled by the student-run Honor System. Prior to that time, the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies along with other campus organizations supported student concerns.

What’s it like to be a Carolina student? It’s being part of a community that takes pride in tradition and school spirit, and in offering the resources you need to develop your talents and leadership skills. It’s about creating lifelong friendships and memories with some of the most interesting, indescribable, dissimilar-yet-on-the-same-page students in the world.

With 700 student organizations,  you’ll find many avenues to explore your personal and intellectual interests and embrace your passion for music, the performing arts, journalism, creative writing, student government, politics or international cultures. We also offer more than 50 intramural sports for all skill levels, so you get the chance to push your physical boundaries, too.

Carolina figures prominently in assessments and rankings centered on national academic leadership within research funding, excellence of programs, affordability and diversity. Here are a few highlights:

Multiple University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill doctoral programs spanning the sciences, arts and humanities, medicine, social sciences and public health are highly rated in a 2010 assessment conducted by the National Research Council.

Carolina ranks among the top U.S. public universities in research support — a direct reflection of the quality of the research the faculty and the students they mentor are conducting. Carolina researchers attracted $803 million in total research grants and contracts in fiscal 2010, the largest amount in campus history. That figure is a 12.2 percent increase over the $716 million received in fiscal 2009. The contracts and grants come primarily from the federal government — especially the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Chapel Hill ranked as one of nine public universities within the top 25 in the 2010 edition of “The Top American Research Universities,” produced by The Center for Measuring University Performance at Arizona State University. This study evaluates top research universities with at least $40 million in annual federal research funding as reported in fiscal year 2008 and uses quantitative measures such as endowment assets, private giving, faculty awards, doctorates granted, postdoctoral appointees and SAT/ACT range.

Carolina came in 20th for graduate programs and 24th for undergraduate programs among the 2010 “Top Schools for Entrepreneurs,” an annual ranking by The Princeton Review. Top schools were assessed through survey data from 2,000 institutions that focused on academics and requirements, students and faculty, and opportunities beyond the classroom experience.

UNC-Chapel Hill ranks 28th in the total number of doctoral degrees awarded (440 total degrees in 2009), as reported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Additional NSF rankings for UNC-Chapel Hill include: 9th in doctorates awarded to black students, 2005-2009 (120 degrees); 18th in doctorates awarded to American Indian/Alaska Native students, 2005-2009 (seven degrees); 10th in doctorates awarded in the life sciences, 2009 (175 degrees); and 17th in doctorates awarded in the humanities, 2009 (66 degrees).

Carolina ranked 41st among 500 universities included in the 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities, an annual list produced and posted online by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Universities are ranked by several indicators of academic or research performance, including alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, highly cited researchers, papers published in Nature and Science, papers indexed in major citation indices, and per capita academic performance.

UNC-Chapel Hill is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading “green” schools. The Sustainable Endowments Institute, in its 2011 College Sustainability Report Card, gave Carolina a grade of A-. Carolina ranked 10th in the first UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, launched in 2010 by Universitas Indonesia. Those results reflect an online survey about the current conditions and policies related to green campuses and sustainability worldwide. Morrison Residence Hall was the winner of the first-ever National Building Competition sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program.

Carolina has a long tradition of service and was rated 3rd among large U.S. colleges and universities for the number of alumni volunteering for the Peace Corps in 2011. Ninety-four undergraduate Carolina alumni and six graduate alumni are representing the United States abroad. Since the Peace Corps' inception, 1,145 Carolina alumni have served as volunteers.

UNC-Chapel Hill came out 30th among the world's top 200 universities in 2010-2011, according to the London-based Times Higher Education magazine. 21st among U.S. universities and 7th among national public universities. This ranking uses quantitative data to measure quality instead of reputational surveys.