With a total student population bumping against 30,000 to start the 2018-19 academic year, UNC Charlotte continues its longstanding upward growth. With a record-breaking total enrollment of 29,710, UNC Charlotte trails only North Carolina State University and UNC Chapel Hill in terms of student body size among the UNC System’s 17 campuses.
Most notable is undergraduate enrollment, which at 24,387 is the state’s second largest after NC State. Forty percent of these students are first-generation college students. Master’s and doctoral students complete the balance of UNC Charlotte’s student population with 5,323.
“Throughout the University, faculty and staff are united in their commitment to provide high-quality programs and life-changing opportunity to students from North Carolina as well as across the country and globe,” said Joan Lorden, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This dedication is reflected in our ability to exceed ambitious enrollment goals for first-year, new and returning master’s, and master’s certificate students—and our ability to recruit, retain and graduate a diverse overall student population, which represents students from 46 states and the District of Columbia, the majority from North Carolina, and 91 countries.”
As North Carolina’s urban research institution, UNC Charlotte offers 75 bachelor’s, 65 master’s and 24 doctoral programs at its University City main campus, UNC Charlotte Center City and online, the most recent addition a Ph.D. program in civil engineering, is scheduled to launch in 2019. Last year, the University attracted an all-time high $50.7 million in research funding through 424 research grants, while a record 28 patents were issued.
This level of research capacity is designed to address the industry needs of the Charlotte region, where nearly 78,000 of UNC Charlotte’s 135,853 alumni live and work. Academic programs that are meeting this demand include data analytics and cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and precision metrology, energy infrastructure and electrical supply chain, health and life sciences, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering and science and motorsports research and engineering.
Photo: Day of Convocation provided an opportunity for incoming students to celebrate the start of the academic year.