OVERVIEW

Previously named University of North Carolina, today the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is one of the best public universities in the United States and claiming to be the oldest one. With over 29,000 students studying in the university town of over 700 acres and more than 3,500 staffs working there, the university has earned a reputation as one of the best universities in the world.

The university was first chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly on December 11, 1789. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the campus of this university is dominated by two central quads – Polk Place, named after North Carolina native and university alumnus President James K. and McCorkle Place, named in honor of Samuel Eusebius McCorkle – and is divided into three parts, namely “north campus,” “middle campus,” and “south campus.”

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill offers degrees in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate’s programs. It offers combined-degree programs as well. Students of the university take curriculums and participate in special academic programs including service learning, writing in the disciplines and so forth. The 4-year graduation rate is 76%, which is obviously high among all universities.

The mission of the university is:

To serve as a center for research, scholarship, and creativity and to teach a diverse community of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to become the next generation of leaders. Through the efforts of our exceptional faculty and staff, and with generous support from North Carolina’s citizens, we invest our knowledge and resources to enhance access to learning and to foster the success and prosperity of each rising generation. We also extend knowledge-based services and other resources of the University to the citizens of North Carolina and their institutions to enhance the quality of life for all people in the State.

ACCREDITATION

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award degrees in Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate’s programs.

ACADEMICS

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has a large number of departments from African & AfroAmerican Studies to Women’s Studies.

The most popular majors and course of study for students are as follows:

1. Communication and Media Studies
2. Biology
3. Psychology
4. Political Science and Government
5. Business Administration

The university ranks 29 among all national universities.

With the student-faculty ratio being 14:1, and 36.7% of its classes having fewer than 20 students, the university guarantees that all students can be well instructed.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for the university are required to provide either their SAT or ACT scores, which should be submitted before January 31. Admission interview is not required. The deadline for submitting application is January 5 and the application fee is USD 70. Working and volunteering experiences usually give applicants advantages.

COSTS AND FINANCIAL AID

The in-state tuition and fees for year 2011-2012 is USD 7,008 and the out-of-state ones are USD 26,834. Students spend USD 1,150 for books and supplies on average.

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill offers three types of need-based scholarships/grants, which help 41% undergraduates, and non-need-based scholarships/grants for undergraduates, which totals USD 15,062 on average. The university also provides need-based financial aids, fully meeting the needs of 91.0% students. Financial aids include need-based self-help aid, need-based/non-need-based scholarship or grant aid and loans like Direct Subsidized Stafford loans, Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans, FFEL unsubsidized Stafford loans and more.