UNC Greensboro’s Fall 2024 enrollment tops 18,000 total students, a 1.5% increase from last year and the largest student enrollment since 2021.
The University celebrates these numbers, particularly given the challenging market in higher education nationwide and the competitive landscape in North Carolina. New transfer students are up by 10%, and new graduate enrollment increased by 5%. UNCG also received a record number of first-time and graduate student applications.
While shifts in the national economy and college-going rates have brought changes to the higher education enrollment landscape, UNCG’s commitment to student access, support, and success has driven increases in student retention and graduate and transfer enrollment.
18,012 Spartan Strong
The 18,012 total headcount includes 14,389 undergraduates, 3,596 graduate students, and 27 students in the Integrative Community Studies program, all of which saw increases from 2023. These rises highlight UNCG’s ability to attract prospects, while the 3% increase in returning undergraduates validates our hard work to ensure current students succeed.
Demographic breakdowns suggest that UNCG continues to provide unparalleled support for our vast array of students. Among the entering class, 49% are first-generation college students and 58% are students of color. Hispanic and Latino students represent the largest growth rate at 5.4%.
With the 2025 Wall Street Journal rankings just out, UNCG still holds its number one spot in the state for social mobility. Although 61% of our student body is Pell-eligible, a UNCG education gives a return on investment that greatly improves our students’ economic status after graduation.
At his State of the Campus address, Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. highlighted the strategies and new initiatives employed by the Enrollment Management team. The success of these initiatives proves UNCG’s story to our stakeholders and prospective students and families, “At a time when higher education is under scrutiny over its impact and value, and competition for enrollment is fierce, it’s critical that we communicate what makes UNCG an exceptional choice,” he said.
Tina McEntire, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, praises the teamwork of departments across UNCG’s campus for this year’s success and notes that the record number of graduate school applications (over 5,000!) can be attributed to the excellence of our graduate programs and marketing from the Office of Enrollment Communications.
“I would like to applaud the efforts of our team members in the Enrollment Management Division, and campus partners like the Cashiers and Student Accounts Office, the Graduate School, Housing and Residence Life, the Global Engagement Office, the Division of Student Success, and many more,” McEntire says. “I also want to thank the faculty and staff that played a key role in this year’s enrollment success.”
Academic Access
Perhaps the largest challenge to this year’s enrollment was the rollout of a new Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA), which put UNCG departments like the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship into high gear to make sure students could access the aid they needed.
The new application portal opened late on December 31, 2023, rather than the typical October opening, and students and their families experienced processing issues with the new application. Director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Dawn Herrod reports that her office received 3,627 in-person visits and 15,095 phone calls between March 1 and August 30, 2024. That’s 19,022 inquiries received compared to 16,472 last year.
Herrod explained that Financial Aid partnered with Undergraduate Admissions and Enrollment Communications to strategically deliver information to prospective and continuing students. “Our intent was to keep students up to date with what they could expect to happen next and reassure them that we are here to help them through the most challenging federal financial aid application process we have seen in decades,” she said.
After all the growing pains of adjusting to a new application, 54% of undergraduates and 61% of the first-year students received a Pell award. This means the new FAFSA formula calculations resulted in more Pell eligibility for students and UNCG came through on its commitment to giving more students access to higher education.
Programs in Demand
Enrollment numbers also gave clues about demand for our academic programs.
UNCG’s focus on health sciences seems right on track:
- The School of Nursing’s enrollment is up 12%.
- Biology and Psychology programs are most popular in the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Chemistry and Biochemistry also saw a 9% bump.
Computer Science is the third most popular degree within the College of Arts and Sciences and claimed a strong 8.5% growth this year, speaking to the demand for information technology degrees.
UNCG’s appeal to business students and artists continues to shine:
- The Bryan School of Business saw 5% growth.
- College of Visual and Performing Arts had a 7.5% increase in enrollment this year.
The School of Education and School of Health and Human Sciences reported steady growth. And UNCG’s biggest school, the College of Arts and Sciences, saw growth in Liberal and Professional Studies, History, and Philosophy humanities programs in addition to the science programs mentioned above.
McEntire and her team praise the University’s strategic work to align students with programs they want, but she recognizes the work still ahead.
“We still face the same challenges in changing demographics, attitudes toward higher education, and increasing competition, but Enrollment Management is focused on creating new supplemental pipelines to combat these headwinds,” she says. “In the meantime, our colleagues across campus deserve a round of applause for the success of this fall’s enrollment. We managed to move the needle in the worst of conditions with the FAFSA debacle and that feat deserves high praise for all.”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
