3,055 first-year candidates were offered admission to UNC last Friday.
That number includes the regular-decision applications, as well as the more than 2,400 early-action candidates whose decisions were initially deferred.
More than 6,000 candidates were offered admission during the early-action period.
Carolina received a total of 31,943 applications for enrollment this year, which marks the 10th consecutive year of a new record. The number of applications has grown 37 percent over the last five years.
Across both deadlines, admitted students come from 97 counties in North Carolina, 49 states and the District of Columbia, and 75 different countries. Fourteen percent will be following in the Carolina footsteps of one or more parents; another 14 percent will be the first in their families to attend college.
“The numbers don’t tell the full story. The students we’ve admitted include inventors, entrepreneurs, leaders, athletes, artists, community servants and more,” said Stephen Farmer, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions. “Between now and May 1—the first-year enrollment deadline—we will be doing our best to help these students decide whether Carolina is the place they will call home for the next four years.”
The university expects to enroll 4,000 new students in the fall.
Related Stories
‹

UNC's Ryleigh Heck, Rece Verhoff Among Those Joining Indiana NCAA LawsuitUNC kicker Rece Verhoff and three former members of the field hockey team – including former All-American Ryleigh Heck – are joining a lawsuit against the NCAA out of the state of Indiana. The four players, as well as dozens of others from multiple sports who graduated high school in 2022, are seeking a fifth […]

2026 UNC Football Opponent Preview: ClemsonUNC will make a visit to Death Valley this Saturday to face Clemson at 12 p.m. The Tigers are 1-1 to start the 2026 season, with a blowout loss to Lane Kiffin and LSU in Week 1 and a low-scoring win against Georgia Southern at home last weekend. Leading the Tigers in his 19th season […]

100 Years of Kenan Stadium: Culture ShockWhen Art Chansky moved from the northeast to Chapel Hill to attend UNC, he had to get used to a southern way of living.
![]()
On Air Today: Previewing Carolina Performing Arts' 2026-27 Season, with Alison FriedmanAlison Friedman of Carolina Performing Arts previews this year's season of events, including a February festival called "All. Together. Now."

‘A Blue-Collar Operation’: UNC Football Encouraged by Groundwork Laid vs. ETSURegardless of ETSU's FCS status, UNC says it's proud of the work it's done early in the season as it looks forward to Clemson.

This Week in UNC Sports: September 14-20, 2026The upcoming week offers several high-caliber matchups for multiple UNC teams both at home and on the road.

UNC Sports: Field Hockey, Women's Soccer Win; Volleyball Loses in New YorkSeveral UNC women’s sports teams were in action up and down the east coast Sunday. In Virginia, the field hockey team earned a 2-1 win at Richmond, while down in Chapel Hill the women’s soccer team cruised to a 5-0 win at Dorrance Field against NJIT. Meanwhile, up in New York City, the volleyball team […]

Art's Angle: Comings and GoingsArt Chansky discusses his impressions from former UNC quarterback Gio Lopez's first two games of the season with Wake Forest.

UNC Football Dominates in Home Opener, Blows Out East Tennessee StateDemon June ran for three touchdowns and the UNC defense continued its strong start to 2026 in a 35-3 win against East Tennessee State at Kenan Stadium Saturday. The Tar Heels are now 2-0 on the year, the first time they have been two games above .500 under head coach Bill Belichick. HEELS WIN #GoHeels […]

UNC Men's Soccer Earns Draw vs. No. 1 Stanford in Chapel HillGoals from UNC’s Ryan Zellefrow and Luca Nikolai helped the Tar Heels play to a 2-2 draw against No. 1 Stanford at Dorrance Field Friday night. Zellefrow’s goal in the 13th minute was Carolina’s first shot of the night. It came against the run of play, as Stanford had manufactured the first two chances of […]
›