Ģ����ý

More than 820 new undergraduate students have deposited as of National College Decision Day, including the largest first-year class in university history

A promising Ģ����ý experience has already started to unfold for the Class of 2030. Ģ����ý announces that on National College Decision Day, May 1, 2026, more students have made deposits to attend the university than at any time in its 135-year history.

It is a remarkable and diverse incoming cohort of first-year and transfer students, with the university experiencing a record year for applications and enrollment.

�Students and families are responding to Ģ����ý distinctive combination of academic and athletic excellence, personal attention, professional preparation and affordability,� said Summer McGee, Ph.D., president of Ģ����ý. �This record-setting class is a powerful affirmation of the university momentum and of our commitment to making an exceptional private university education accessible to more students.�

More than 820 new students have confirmed their plans to attend Ģ����ý this fall, including more than 700 first-year students in the Class of 2030. The incoming class represents the largest first-year class in the university history. In addition, more than 120 transfer students have deposited, a figure that is more than double the university transfer enrollment at this point in time from any of the past five years. The admission office noted a 43 percent increase in students from outside North Carolina, with 26 states and 24 countries represented. The class includes a 159 percent increase in female students, who make up 60 percent of the Class of 2030.

Ģ����ý also saw more than a 100 percent increase in new students from the Charlotte and Winston-Salem areas, more than 50 percent growth from the Research Triangle and increases of more than 250 percent from every county in the Unifour region.

�Our admission and financial aid staff has put together a fantastic class,� said new Vice President of Enrollment Management, Chad Spencer. �We�ve increased our applicant pool from high schools across North Carolina and the country, and the impact of the university historic commitment to access and affordability through the Ģ����ý Tuition-Free Guarantee is evident in a more than 100 percent increase in enrollees.�

Interest in Ģ����ý skyrocketed during the fall 2025 recruitment cycle, following the university announcement of a major overhaul of its financial aid model, including the Ģ����ý Tuition-Free Guarantee. Under the guarantee, residents of North Carolina and South Carolina whose family's adjusted gross income is less than $100,000 pay no out-of-pocket tuition. Instead, Ģ����ý accepts those students� federal and state grants to cover 100 percent of tuition.

The university received a record number of more than 10,500 applications for the Class of 2030.

�Families were telling us that a Ģ����ý education was too expensive compared to state universities, and that our merit scholarships were not as generous as other elite private colleges. We listened. The Tuition-Free Guarantee is simple, fair and designed to improve college affordability to the point that students are no longer going to choose between private and public universities based on price,� said President McGee.

For new students whose family incomes exceed the Ģ����ý Guarantee threshold or who reside outside the Carolinas, Ģ����ý also significantly increased its merit-based scholarships to be more competitive with peer private institutions. Current students� merit scholarships for the coming year are also being adjusted so that this year tuition increase is offset almost entirely by additional institutional aid.

�College is one of the most important investments a student and family will ever make,� McGee said. �We are proud that Ģ����ý innovative, highly ranked educational experience, strong student support and 99 percent placement rate will now reach more students than ever before.�

The Class of 2030 will arrive at Ģ����ý during a period of significant institutional momentum, including implementation of the university , continued growth in academic programs, expanded student support initiatives and renewed investment in the student experience.