Quad

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Biology/Biological Sciences, General (11% of graduates). 15 students for every faculty member, more than at 66% of colleges. 78% of faculty are full-time. Spends $33,767 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

5,629 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 38% of graduates; 63 programs in 22 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.010111% 606
    Graduates in this field earn $62,047 4 years out
  2. Business Administration and Management, General 52.02017.2% 407
    Graduates in this field earn $135,874 4 years out
  3. Behavioral Sciences 30.17017.1% 402
  4. Mass Communication/Media Studies 09.01026.7% 375
    Graduates in this field earn $70,240 4 years out
  5. Computer Science 11.07016.4% 358
    Graduates in this field earn $137,047 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Interdisciplinary studies, 1.1% → 7.8% of graduates since 2014–15 (440 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Computer Science$137,047 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $90,293

    4 years after completion$137,047
    National median: $107,009Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $102,956 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $13,500 · 859 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Business Administration, Management and Operations$135,874 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $85,618

    4 years after completion$135,874
    National median: $68,257Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $113,726 · Non-Pell: $102,123(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $14,239 · 733 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Applied Mathematics$119,839 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $75,105

    4 years after completion$119,839
    National median: $91,532Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $104,736(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $14,135 · 404 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Health and Medical Administrative Services$110,204 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $49,967

    4 years after completion$110,204
    National median: $58,716Above typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 88 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Economics$103,846 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $65,344

    4 years after completion$103,846
    National median: $82,686Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $74,254 · Non-Pell: $85,064(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $14,135 · 892 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college15 to 1
15 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 66% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 14 to 1 in its Common Data Set (25,222 students, 1,808 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

38%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 14% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–933811%
10–1986427%
20–2995130%
30–3930410%
40–492618%
50–992317%
100+1996%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Cross-registration
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • Dual enrollment
  • English as a Second Language
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, English composition, a foreign language, history, physical education, humanities, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty78%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$136,550

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$33,767
$33,767
← Lessmore than 96% of 557More →
Endowment per student$187,157
$187,157
← Lessmore than 98% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)