University of North Carolina at Wilmington - Overview

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking; and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 17,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs and doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program and an Executive MBA program, structured for working professionals. The foundation of UNCW's educational experience is ETEAL - Experiencing Transformative Education through Applied Learning - a multi-disciplinary approach that incorporates internships, study abroad, community-based projects, research, directed independent study and other educational opportunities.

UNCW is a recipient of the Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. UNCW@Onslow partners with Coastal Carolina Community College, USMC Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River and UNCW's Office of Military Affairs to coordinate a comprehensive program for non-traditional students including veterans, active-duty personnel and dependents. UNCW was ranked 1st in North Carolina and 40th nationally by Military Times among the top four-year colleges for military-affiliated students. The university takes a leadership role in the long-term growth of the region.

UNCW actively supports economic development through the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which works to identify and nurture high-growth companies in southeastern North Carolina, and advanced biotech research at its CREST Research Park. UNCW was recognized by The Education Trust for impressive gains in graduation rates nationally among four-year public universities, having significantly improved six-year graduation rates among underrepresented minorities and having reduced the gap between white and minority students over the past decade. The 2017-18 academic year held a number of milestone achievements for UNCW.

The university was named a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars among master's institutions and was selected by the Council of College and Military Educators to receive the 2018 Institution Award. Ten UNCW students received Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships, awarded by the U.S. Department of State. Four UNCW Honors students were named National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hollings Scholars. UNCW broke ground for Veterans Hall, a new classroom facility that will house existing degree programs in health and human services; provide the opportunity to develop new programs such as healthcare administration/analytics, speech language pathology and physician assistant studies; and enhance services for military-affiliated students. UNCW Athletics' intercollegiate teams compete in NCAA Division I. Five UNCW athletic teams earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards for academic performance and 12 of the university's 19 teams achieved a perfect NCAA Academic Progress Rates score of 1,000. UNCW has been part of the UNC System since 1969. In 2013, the university completed its Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges institutional reaffirmation process with no additional reporting required, an accomplishment only an average of 35 percent of universities achieve. UNCW frequently receives national recognition for quality and affordability from U.S. News & World Report and other prestigious publications. see less