The University of North Carolina System celebrated an important milestone this week with the state’s public universities surpassing more than a quarter of a million students for the first time. The record enrollment of more than 256,000 this fall represents a 3.4% increase over 2024.
The enrollment total is significant. It comes at a time that higher education is facing a demographic challenge caused by falling birth rates in the United States.
Total student enrollment for fall 2025 (preliminary) (Image: UNC System)0 North Carolina’s historically black universities saw some of the largest percentage increases this year. Fayetteville State University saw enrollment rise 7.3%, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University was up 6.7%, with North Carolina Central University up 6.8%. Policies raising the enrollment caps for out-of-state students may have helped those HBCUs excel.
Only the University of North Carolina Asheville experienced a decline in enrollment. But officials acknowledged the 6% decline could be related to the ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery. The campus was closed for 33 days last year during the peak season for recruitment and campus tours.
The UNC System also credits the growth in part to policies that simplify the transfer and admissions process. NC College Connect offered automatic admission to more than 62,000 high school seniors with a weighted grade point average of 2.8 or above.
An era of financial uncertaintyIn-state undergraduate tuition has not increased in the UNC System for nine straight years. Few states can make that claim.
But on Thursday, UNC Board of Governors Chair Wendy Floyd Murphy indicated that the system would not be able to continue holding tuition rates in place.
“Generous state funding has allowed us to keep tuition low, and we are grateful for the support of our leaders in the North Carolina legislature. Even so, we are now in an era of some financial uncertainty,” said Murphy. “Inflation has driven up the cost of operations at our institutions.
“Universities have absorbed those pressures while holding the line on tuition, but we cannot expect them to continue doing so without negative impacts.”
Murphy said potential budget changes both at the federal and state level mean the system must strengthen financial positions at the campus level.
“After careful consideration, the board will allow our universities to propose modest tuition increases of up to 3% for resident undergraduates,” Murphy said. “But let me be clear, this doesn’t change our existing policies around college affordability. We’ve guaranteed students that if they graduate in four years, their tuition will not rise.”
Murphy said the system has built faculty teaching workloads to make sure students can earn the credits they need to graduate on time, taking on less debt.
UNC Board of Governors Chair Wendy Floyd Murphy (Screengrab: PBSNC) UNC’s fixed tuition guarantee will remain in place for students, and any increases in resident undergraduate tuition will only apply to new students who enroll in the fall of 2026.
The system notes that special fees may be considered, but only to cover inflationary costs for existing academic programs, or to pay for new programs approved by the Board of Governors.
North Carolina Promise Institutions — Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, UNC Pembroke and Western Carolina — will continue to offer reduced resident tuition rates set by the state legislature.
Murphy stressed that the tuition increase will not be automatic. Campuses will be required to develop proposals with input from their communities and boards of trustees and have their proposals reviewed by the system’s Board of Governors in February 2026.
“Going forward, we will be judicious. We simply acknowledge the reality of rising cost and the need to protect our institutions, preserve quality of instruction and ensure student success.”
This article was originally published in NC Newsline.
