Like a gold-medal-winning Olympic team, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) keeps breaking its own enrollment records.
For the 2026-2027 academic year, NCCU’s enrollment has grown to 10,124 students for the first time in university history. The record enrollment represents a 9.1% increase from fall 2025, when NCCU had 9,281 students, and marks the fourth year in a row of enrollment growth. Once again, NCCU leads all UNC System institutions in fall enrollment percentage growth.
“Reaching 10,000 students three years ahead of our 2029 target is an incredible achievement for NCCU,” said Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon. “This speaks to the strength of our university community, the hard work of our faculty and staff, and the growing number of students who see NCCU as the right place to pursue their education. We set an ambitious goal, and reaching it early shows what we can do when we work together.”
The student body includes 2,590 first-time undergraduate and new transfer and second-degree students (13% increase). Graduate enrollment accounts for 1,971 students (3.1% increase).
Ontario Wooden, Ph.D., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, attributes the growth to a combination of increased student retention and persistence, expanded academic and online programs, recruitment efforts and NCCU’s location. He also points to the work of departments involved in enrollment, financial aid and student life as important internal factors contributing to the university’s success.
“Being an institution located in Durham, North Carolina, does not hurt,” Wooden said. “This is a city where there is science, innovation and research that is leading edge. The proximity to Research Triangle Park makes us attractive to students.”
Growth Across Student Populations
NCCU is seeing increased interest among transfer and graduate students. Compared with fall 2025, the university received 6.7% more transfer applications (1,778) and 2.9% more graduate applications (2,392).
More than 225 students transferred from other universities in North Carolina. The top five institutions represented were N.C. A&T State University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Winston-Salem State University, East Carolina University and University of North Carolina Charlotte. More than 810 students came from community colleges.
Wooden notes that “having a historic enrollment is not only on the backs of new students. Our retention rates are up for the third year in a row. Our four- and six-year graduation rates are up.”
The first-year student retention is now 78.5%, an increase of 3.2%.
NCCU has also partnered with Project Kitty Hawk to dramatically increase its number of online learners. A robust 2,252 students are enrolled in online programs this academic year inclusive of NCCU Online, an 81% increase from the previous year.
Approximately 941 military-affiliated students are enrolled at NCCU, a 13.2% increase from fall 2025. Indeed, NCCU was recognized as one of the nation’s best online colleges for active-duty military and veterans, earning the No. 2 overall spot and No. 1 spot for military financial assistance in Forbes Advisor’s latest rankings.
The university’s five most popular majors are business, health professions, biological and biomedical sciences, psychology and liberal arts and sciences (general studies and humanities).
The vast majority – 8,022 – of students are from North Carolina, followed by Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. Internationally, the top five countries represented include Nigeria, Kenya, Argentina, Spain and Canada, reflecting NCCU’s reach across the East coast and around the globe.
The university also appears to have set another enrollment record in on-campus residency. Approximately 43.4% of undergraduate students are housed on campus. This continues to outpace the 24.8% average for public four-year colleges nationwide.
“We’re proud of this moment and excited about where this momentum will take us next,” said Dixon.
NCCU Enrollment Tops 10,000 Students, Three Years Ahead of Target
