Through its teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an educational and economic beacon for the people of North Carolina and beyond.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the nation’s first state university to open its doors and the only public university to award degrees in the 18th century.
Authorized by the N.C. Constitution in 1776, the university was chartered by the N.C. General Assembly Dec. 11, 1789, the same year George Washington first was inaugurated as president.
The cornerstone was laid for Old East, the nation’s first state university building, Oct. 12, 1793. Hinton James, the first student, arrived from Wilmington, N.C., Feb. 12, 1795.
The 729-acre central campus includes the two oldest state university buildings, Old East and Person Hall. Old East and Playmakers Theatre, an 1852 Greek-revival building are National Historic Landmarks.
The American Society of Landscape Architects selected the Carolina campus as one of the most beautifully landscaped spots in the country. That listing is among the praise affirming the charm of mighty oaks, majestic quadrangles, brick sidewalks and other landscaping synonymous with UNC.
Several national publications regularly publish rankings that listed Carolina prominently in categories ranging from academic quality to affordability to diversity to public service to international presence. Recent highlights include:
5th best public university in U.S. News & World Report's 2006 "Best Colleges" guidebook. Affirmation as a national leader in student accessibility; 1st among public campuses and 10th overall in "Great Schools, Great Prices," based on academic quality, net cost of attendance and average student debt. 5th among publics for "least debt." 54% of course sections enrolled fewer than 20 students-a key UNC measure of excellence.
Kenan-Flagler Business School: tied for 5th among undergraduate programs; tied for second among public campuses.
Recent freshman classes at Carolina have set new standards of excellence as measured by the rigorous coursework students have taken in high school, as well as their grades and SAT scores. In 2005, the university's incoming freshmen continued that trend. And the most academically qualified incoming class ever enrolled in fall 2005-3,751 students from more than 18,700 applicants. Nearly three of every four entering students were in the top 10 percent of their class. Forty percent were among the top 10 students. Eleven percent were valedictorians or salutatorians, and 85 percent earned a 4.0 grade-point average or better. Enrolling students' average SAT score was 1299, up 12 points from last year and 42 points in the past five years.

• Institutional Research and Analysis
• Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

• Administration
  • Public Administration - Full Time
• Anthropology
  • General Anthropology - Part Time
• Biological Sciences
  • Bioethics - Part Time
  • Bioinformatics & Computational Biology Training - Full Time
  • Developmental Biology Training Program - Full Time
  • Ecology - Full Time
  • Genetics & Molecular Biology - Full Time
  • Molecular Biology & Biotechnology - Full Time
  • Molecular/Cellular Biophysics - Full Time
  • Neurobiology - Full Time
• Business/Management
  • Business - Full Time
  • Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative - Full Time
  • Management and Society - Full Time
• Communications/Media
  • Media Criticism - Part Time
  • Oral Communication - Full Time
  • The World of Mass Communication - Part Time
• Computing/Information Technology
  • Bioinformatics & Computational Biology Training - Full Time
• Creative/Performing Arts
  • Aerobic Dance - Part Time
  • Basic Drawing and Composition - Part Time
  • Creative Writing - Full Time
  • The English Novel - Part Time
  • Writing for Screen & Stage - Full Time
• Earth Sciences
  • Introductory Geology - Part Time
• Economics
  • Introduction to Economics - Part Time
  • Social & Economic Justice - Full Time
• Education/Training
  • APPLES Service-Learning - Full Time
• Environmental Studies
  • Carolina Environmental - Full Time
  • Enviromental Science & Studies - Full Time
• Ethnicity, Gender and Diversity
  • American Indian Studies - Full Time
  • American Studies - Full Time
  • Ethnicity, Culture & Health Outcomes - Full Time
  • European Studies - Full Time
  • Introduction to African Civilization - Part Time
  • Jewish Studies - Full Time
  • Latin American Studies - Full Time
  • Middle East/Muslim Civilizations - Full Time
  • Russian/East European Studies - Full Time
  • Sexuality Studies - Full Time
  • Women"s Studies - Full Time
• Health/Para-medical Studies
  • Ethnicity, Culture & Health Outcomes - Full Time
  • Program on Health Outcomes - Full Time
  • Public Health Leadership - Full Time
• History/Archaeology
  • Ancient Cities - Part Time
  • Archaeology - Full Time
  • Medieval Studies - Full Time
  • The World Since 1945 - Part Time
• Humanities
  • Burch Fellows - Full Time
  • Humanities & Human Values - Full Time
• International Relations/Studies/Affairs
  • International Studies - Full Time
• Languages
  • Elementary Spanish - Part Time
  • English Composition and Rhetoric - Part Time
  • Intermediate Spanish - Part Time
• Literature
  • Comparative Literature - Full Time
• Mathematics
  • Mathematical Decision Sciences - Full Time
  • Mathematical Sciences - Full Time
  • Selected Topics in Mathematics - Part Time
• Medicine/Medical Sciences
  • Toxicology - Full Time
• Physical Sciences
  • Applied and Materials Sciences - Full Time
• Sociology/Social Studies
  • Christianity and Culture - Full Time
  • Cognitive Science - Full Time
  • Cultural Studies - Full Time
  • Management and Society - Full Time
  • Peace, War, & Defense - Full Time
  • Sexuality Studies - Full Time
  • Social & Economic Justice - Full Time
  • World View - Full Time
• Sports/Leisure
  • Beginning Swimming - Part Time
• Theology/Religion
  • Christianity and Culture - Full Time
  • Introduction to New Testament Literature - Part Time
  • Jewish Studies - Full Time