The people you grow and learn with will be a big part of your Carolina career, just as you’ll be part of theirs.
Meet our newest class of Tar Heels and get to know the students who call Carolina home.
New Students
5,630Carolina welcomed 5,630 new students as the entering class of 2021. This includes 4,688 first-year and 942 transfer students ready to grow, learn, and make each other better.
Students hail from…
95 countries
45 states
94 NC counties
36% of all NC students are from rural counties.
19%
of Carolina’s newest students will be the first in their families to graduate from college.
211
first-year students graduated from schools served by the Carolina College Advising Corps.
36%
of enrolling transfer students most recently attended a North Carolina Community College.
They’re dedicated.
Meet Shristi Sharma
Three years ago, a close friend of Shristi’s family died due to Alzheimer’s, and she began seeking a way to help. Inspiration struck while she was reading a magazine.
“I read this article about living with Alzheimer’s and how hard it is, and on the right side was an ad for the latest FitBit. The two images converged in my mind. I thought, ‘What if you could predict Alzheimer’s with a smart watch?’ That’s one of the main research interests I hope I can continue at Carolina.”
Shristi plans to study computer science and appreciates its interdisciplinary nature.
“You can use it with any subject you want. For me, those subjects recently have become health, neuroscience and psychology. It’s brains, minds and computers. That’s the intersection I want to work at.”
74%
contributed to a cause they believe in.
82%
plan to continue their education after earning an undergraduate degree.
They’re complex and unique.
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top Activities
- Service 74%
- Sports 63%
- Arts & Music 39%
- Internships 14%
- Family 9%
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Rank in High School Class
of the 68% of enrolling first-year students who reported their class rank:
- 12% — 1st or 2nd
- 42% — top 10 students
- 74% — top 10 percent
- 92% — top 20 percent
success on examinations
3,543 students submitted 23,569 Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate scores.
83% of scores demonstrated subject matter mastery.
SAT and ACT Scores
These score ranges represent the middle 50% of students’ highest reported scores. ACT scores have been converted to SAT scores. Convert your score here.
North Carolinians
1340-1490
All Students
1350-1500
Out-of-State Students
1410-1520
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- American Indian or Alaska Native — 2%
- Asian or Asian American — 21%
- Black or African American — 12%
- Hispanic, Latino, or Latina — 10%
- White or Caucasian — 65%
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Languages other than English spoken by enrolling first-year students:
- French — 3%
- Hindi — 2%
- Korean — 1%
- Mandarin — 6%
- Spanish — 15%
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- Biology
- Business
- Psychology & Neuroscience
- Computer Science
- Political Science
Excludes 6% of undecided students
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Being a Tar Heel means becoming someone who can make a difference in this world.
Sarah giang, unc ’25
They have high hopes.
Meet Bryce Jones
Bryce arrives at Carolina ready to embrace all kinds of new experiences. That’s the only way be believes he’ll be able to accomplish his primary objective of college.
“I want to come out of college a better person than I came in. I don’t really know what it’s going to take to become a better person, but I want to come out different than I came in, having experienced something that alters the way I act and what my goals are.”
94%
want to get better at leading, serving, and working with people from different backgrounds.
82%
chose to attend Carolina for its welcoming and inclusive environment.