Committed to Public Progress
As the nation’s first public university, Carolina has never been content with simply being first. Being first doesn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t move the world forward.
The first to establish a school of public health at a state university, Carolina turned that into decades of helping underserved communities. Continually serving first-generation students as well as generations of Tar Heels, 400,000 and counting. Constantly setting the standard, and raising the bar, in athletics, academics, research and the arts. When the call for help rings out, Tar Heels answer — across the state, nation and world.
There’s a Carolina Blue thread woven into lives, communities and discoveries around the globe — a living tapestry of ambition, resilience, impact and an unstoppable drive to be first.
Every day, Tar Heels are taking the first steps that lead to momentous change across our state, nation and world. Because every first helps shape a better world for all, and Tar Heels are determined to pave the way.
The University of North Carolina. First. And For All.
By the Numbers
#1
best value public university for 21 straight years
(U.S. News & World Report)
#4
among public universities, with 24 straight years in the Top 5
(U.S. News & World Report)
#1
in financial aid among publics
(Princeton Review)
#1
school of pharmacy and public school of public health
(U.S. News & World Report)
232 Years of Leading the Way
Carolina Covenant
For more than two decades, the Carolina Covenant has provided more than 10,000 students the opportunity to graduate debt-free through scholarships, work-study and grants.
Nursing pioneer
In 1950, UNC-Chapel Hill established the first four-year collegiate nursing program in North Carolina, and graduated the state’s first BSN graduates. Since then, Tar Heels have continued to make lasting contributions to nursing as caregivers, educators and leaders. As the No. 4 nursing school in the nation, the UNC School of Nursing continues to lead the profession and improve lives for the public good.
Journalism champions
UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media has won seven straight college journalism national championships and 10 of the last 11. The honor, given by the Hearst Journalism Awards Program and referred to as the “Pulitzers of college journalism,” is the highest accolade in collegiate journalism.
Innovative business school programs
The Kenan-Flagler Private Equity Fund, part of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, is the first student-run private equity fund in the world. Students invest outside capital in an educational setting to deliver real returns for investors.
Out of this world
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, the first planetarium in the South, opened in 1949 on Carolina’s campus. Ten years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin began training at Morehead for their Apollo 11 mission that made lunar history.
Pharmacy firsts
The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is the No. 1 school of pharmacy in the country and only public pharmacy school in North Carolina. In 2025, the school retained its No. 1 ranking for external research funding, with an all-time high of more than $99.3 million received in funding in federal fiscal year 2024.
Public health leader
The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health is the No. 1 public school of public health in the country, and tied for No. 2 overall in the U.S. News & World Report 2025-26 rankings.
The only public university to grant degrees in the 18th century.
Old East, a National Historical Landmark, was the first public university building in the nation.
Who We Are
University Within Reach
We are committed to ensuring that every student who earns admission can come to Carolina and thrive. Carolina offers a transformative opportunity to Tar Heels, regardless of income and from all walks of life.
Engine of Opportunity
Carolina’s role as a leading national university spurs opportunity for North Carolina: for the next generation of students, for our economy, and for our innovation that builds the state’s future.
Research with Impact
Carolina is addressing the greatest challenges of our time. We are on the cusp of exciting breakthroughs in cancer, environmental challenges, chronic diseases, and data and computer science.
Serving NC and Beyond
We are a living commitment to the people of North Carolina — grounded in service, driven by impact and shaped by a sense of shared belonging.
Carolina Stories
Caring for a beloved doctor
Known to most as “Dr. Z,” Dr. Michael L. Zollicoffer ’85 (MD) spent 40 years caring for folks in Baltimore, never asking for payment. Then he became the patient, facing big bills for chemotherapy for renal and colorectal cancers because he lacked Medicare Part B insurance. Now, his patients are helping him.
Tennis champ cherishes Tar Heel friends
In four years at Carolina, Reilly Tran ’24 won a national championship, studied abroad in the Galapagos Islands and received a postgraduate scholarship to attend medical school, but she believes the lifelong friendships made in Chapel Hill will last beyond graduation.
Carolina alum gives back to eastern NC
When Roy Dawson ’11 ’14 (JD) dropped out of high school to support his family, he never imagined he’d graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill twice — and serve his community as an attorney in Kinston.
Serving rural communities
Alisa Eanes ’08, ’15 (MD) graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with support from the Carolina Covenant, and is now giving back to the state as an OB-GYN in Marion.
Award-winning work to improve NC’s water
Carolina researcher Frank Leibfarth, the University’s first recipient of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists, is working on innovative solutions to address the cleanup of PFAS water contamination in North Carolina.
Carolina Community Academy
A partnership between UNC-Chapel Hill and Person County Schools, Carolina Community Academy has worked to bring the best of what Carolina has to offer to each student since opening in 2022. That commitment to students has led to a significant increase in proficiency across school subjects since the school opened.
Supporting Helene recovery
The UNC-Chapel Hill community continues to extend its expertise and resources to support the state in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Carolina is committed to working with partners to ensure western North Carolina is supported.
Carolina Global Launch
Through the Carolina Global Launch program, first-year students have the opportunity to begin their college careers overseas before enrolling at UNC-Chapel Hill the following spring semester. The experience allows students to broaden their horizons, get to know their fellow Tar Heels and become acclimated to college courses while earning credits toward a Carolina degree.
