RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — There are more students at all of the schools in the University of North Carolina System this school year. Most of the gains come from North Carolina Central University.
UNC said that this year’s enrollment was up 2.2% from last year and 3.5% since 2022.
Between the Fall 2024 and Fall 2023 school years, NCCU saw a 7.7% rise in students.
More people are going to Fayetteville State University—3.8% more.
Also, 3.1% more people signed up to attend N.C. A&T.
During that time, NC State’s enrollment went up by 3.1%.
The number of students at UNC-Chapel Hill went up by 0.6%.
The UNC System said that across the state, schools gained more than 5,400 new students this fall. There was a drop in registration at none of the schools in the system.
The system says this growth is the result of years of putting money into things like low fees, programs that help students stay in school and graduate, and better financial aid, transfer programs, and online learning.
In a statement, UNC System President Peter Hans said, “We’ve worked hard to keep college affordable and make sure that students graduate with great prospects and less debt.” “Our universities are focused on giving the people of this state a valuable education that they can really afford, and that message is getting through.”
Senior vice president for academic affairs for the UNC System, David English, said that some of this year’s growth came from re-enrolling students who had dropped out of UNC System schools without getting a degree.
English said that overall enrollment at several schools went up because of a focused effort to get back in touch with those students and give a way for them to graduate.
The UNC System also told the public Policy changes that let more out-of-state students attend UNC sites with open spots and high demand have been good for historically black universities.
Hans said, “Our public HBCUs are great assets for North Carolina, and they bring in talented students from all over the country.” “That’s great for the state’s economy and those schools.”
UNC also says that the recent start of a simpler, more generous scholarship makes college more accessible for more families in North Carolina.
The Next NC Scholarship helps North Carolinians from families making $80,000 or less go to college by paying more than half, or even all, of their tuition and fees at any public university.
A new pilot program called NC College Connect will make it easier for some universities to admit students and encourage more suitable high school graduates to go to college at a low cost.