University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

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Diverse, Top-Tier “Public Ivy” Education at UNC-Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill appears in our ranking of the Top 40 MBA Programs for Engineers Online.

Ranked 30th nationally by the U.S. News & World Report, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is the oldest flagship, coed AAU member that grants 97 bachelor’s, 103 master’s, and 72 doctoral degrees, including 19 fully online, at a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. For example, the Art History B.A. crafts a 120-credit, four-year curriculum headed by Dr. Eduardo Douglas where Tar Heels can attend the Bettie Allison Rand Lecture, earn Ackland Art Museum internships, pledge Kappa Pi, and exchange to Florence’s Lorenzo de Medici School. Chaired by Dr. Wesley Burks, the School of Medicine has a 120-credit, JRCERT-accredited Radiologic Science B.S. with opportunities to practice in the Diagnostic Imaging Suite, serve in Malawi, and intern with WakeMed Children’s Hospital.

Online on Sakai, the Gillings School of Global Public Health delivers a 49-credit, CAHME-accredited Executive Master of Health Administration led by Dr. Bill Gentry that builds atop the Intense BaseCamp with live 700-level evening courses like Medical Informatics and leadership practicum, such as Rex Hospital. Directed by Dr. Brent McKee, the Marine Sciences Ph.D. follows a rigorous 72-credit, four-year sequence with Graduate Action Group membership, Chemical Oceanography Lab research, and trips to the Galapagos Science Center.

Other Chapel Hill degrees include the Music B.A., Linguistics B.A., Computer Science B.S., Asian Studies B.A., Nutrition B.S., Mathematics M.S., Philosophy M.A., M.B.A., Toxicology M.S., Ecology Ph.D., Religious Studies Ph.D., and Information & Library Science Ph.D.

About the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill originated on December 11, 1789, when the General Assembly finally passed Samuel Eusebius McCorkle’s bill for state higher education. In 1795, the Tar Heel State’s first land-grant school welcomed an all-male inaugural class. In 1831, the University of North Carolina debuted the earliest state observatory. Open throughout the Civil War, UNC started advanced graduate degrees in 1879. Three years later, the School of Medicine was founded for physician training. In 1919, the School of Commerce began the first business administration courses. In 1922, UNC-Chapel Hill was invited to the esteemed Association of American Universities. In 1932, Chapel Hill became the flagship of a new three-campus UNC system. Desegregated in 1955, UNC became fully coeducational in 1963. In 2007, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill professor Dr. Oliver Smithies won the Nobel Prize.

Endowed for $2.9 billion, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill now employs 3,696 faculty teaching 18,715 undergrad and 11,132 post-grad Tar Heels from 150 countries online or on its 729-acre Research Triangle campus near Raleigh with 940+ clubs like the Geriatrics Society. In 2019, Chapel Hill accepted the CASE District III Grand Award for Alumni Relations. In 2017, UNC received the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Prize for Equity in Educational Excellence. Forbes named UNC-Chapel Hill the eighth-best public school and 40th best employer. On Niche, UNC boasts America’s fifth-best communications, 17th top environmental science, and 19th best nursing degrees. WalletHub noticed the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for the 40th best educational outcomes. Kiplinger’s declared UNC the 15th top value. The Center for World University Rankings picked Chapel Hill 33rd globally.

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Accreditation Details

On December 6, 2017, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill announced that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) voted to reaffirm the Level VI accreditation through 2026-27 under the 11th chancellor, Dr. Carol Folt, who earned the Jaycee Burn Center’s 12th Person Award. Located 375 miles down Interstate 85 in Decatur, Georgia, this lauded 11-state Lower Atlantic Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). The Office of Institutional Research also lists these accreditations:

  • Council on Social Work Education
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
  • Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
  • Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • Commission on Dental Accreditation
  • Liaison Committee on Medical Education
  • American Psychological Association
  • National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
  • Council for Education in Public Health
  • Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
  • Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • American Library Association
  • Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
  • Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Application Requirements

Admission to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is classified “very difficult” by Peterson’s since 9,524 of the 27,468 Fall 2018 applicants were okayed for 35 percent acceptance. First-year Tar Heels must culminate at least 16 high school course units or the GED. The Class of 2022 presented an average 4.67 weighted GPA. The middle 50th percentile had ACT scores of 28-33. Mid-range SAT scores were 600-700 for reading and 610-720 for math. Most freshmen rank in the top 10 percent at secondary graduation. Transfers typically have 15+ regionally accredited credits and GPAs above 2.75. The Graduate School seeks a four-year Bachelor of Arts/Science completion with 3.0 or better GPAs. Post-grads achieve a median 3.54 GPA. International students need a minimum 90 TOEFL iBT score or equivalent. Mean admitted GRE scores are 159 verbal and 158 quantitative. The Kenan-Flagler Business School has a 630 GMAT average. Juris Doctor entrants have a median 161 LSAT score. Matriculated M.D. students report a mean 512 MCAT score.

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill set freshman deadlines of October 15th for Early Action and January 15th for Regular Decision. Undergrad transfers should file before February 15th. The Graduate School has program-specific dates to check carefully. For instance, the Political Science Ph.D. closes on December 11th. Hopeful Anthropology M.A. cohorts must apply before December 3rd. The Physics Ph.D. welcomes candidates until January 8th. Complete the UNC or Common Application online for $85 ($90 if graduate). Ship official transcripts to Box 2126 in Chapel Hill, NC 27515. Forward testing results via SAT/GRE code 5816, ACT code 3162, or GMAT code D40-HL-07. Fulfill supplemental steps, such as the interview, residency form, 650-word essay, 1-3 recommendation letters, NACAC fee waiver, and resume. Contact (919) 966-3621 or [email protected] with questions.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is charging full-time undergrads $3,509 per semester. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition is $17,099 each term. Mandatory student fees are $980 by semester. The Kenan-Flagler School adds a $1,000 program enhancement fee. Freshmen cover a one-time $53 orientation fee. Unless waived, health insurance is $1,313 each term. Room and board for the Durham County campus’ dorms like Baity Hall costs $11,190. UNC budgets $948 for books and $2,686 for miscellaneous. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $23,811 in-state or $49,994 out-of-state. The Graduate School has standard semester tuition of $6,257 for North Carolinians and $15,120 for non-residents. Juris Doctor cohorts spend $12,236 to $20,809. The D.D.S. program bills $20,323 to $33,581.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Student Aid in Vance Hall Room 218 connects 53 percent of full-time UNC Tar Heels to tuition assistance averaging $17,030 each for $171.02 million combined. University funds include the Golden Door Scholarship, Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarship, Maryon “Spike” Saunders Scholarship, Harvey Beech Scholarship, James Johnston Award, Wood Family Scholarship, Blue Sky Scholarship, Frances Phillips Travel Scholarship, Sean Douglas Leadership Scholarship, Marian Drane Graham Scholarship, Janet Royster Memorial Scholarship, and Cheatham-White Merit Scholarship. The Carolina Covenant covers unmet financial need for undergraduates with annual income below $50,000. The $10,000 Chancellor’s Science Scholars Program has an October 15th deadline for STEM majors with minimum 3.0 GPAs. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Stafford Loan, require FAFSA applications coded 002974. North Carolinians also pursue the Education Lottery Scholarship, Legislative Tuition Grant, Teaching Fellows Grant, Student Incentive Grant, and more.

Search through 10 innovative schools for 270+ impactful degrees placed 37th overall by The Wall Street Journal at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill website.