University sees 22% jump in online students; reflects commitment to flexible, high-quality education
An estimated 1,731 first-year students will attend North Carolina Central University (NCCU) as the class of 2029 this fall, plus 450 transfer and second-degree students.
Final census data will be available in September 2025.
Most of them – 1,544 – come from North Carolina. The top five counties represented are Mecklenburg, Wake, Durham, Guilford and Cumberland.
Notably, NCCU’s incoming class includes 251 online students, marking a 22% increase from fall 2024. The university offers 37 online programs at the bachelor’s and graduate degrees levels, as well as certificate options. A leader in the online space, NCCU was the first in the University of North Carolina System to launch a degree program, the RN-to-BSN, through the Project Kitty Hawk initiative for adult learners. Other popular offerings include business administration, health administration, information technology and public health education.
The expansion of the NCCU Online program is also a key focus of the university’s institutional sustainability goal in its new strategic plan, Soaring to New Heights: Vision 2030.
“Our growing online enrollment affirms that a world-class NCCU education knows no boundaries," said Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon. "Whether students are here in Durham or across the country, they are a part of an innovative community that prepares them to thrive in a global economy and inspires their purpose to take flight.”
For the class of 2029, the most popular programs are pre-nursing, business administration, criminal justice, psychology and biology.
Additionally, there are 630 new graduate and professional students.
Among the incoming first-year students are 11 Cheatham-White Scholars. Applicants for Cheatham-White Scholarship were required to hold a high school weighted grade point average of at least 4.0. High school counselors nominated students for the scholarship based on a variety of factors including leadership experience, character and community service. Cheatham-White is a full-ride scholarship which covers full tuition, room and board, student fees, books, a laptop computer, supplies and personal expenses plus four summer experiences that might include international studies.
The university is housing approximately 36.4% of its students on campus this academic year, well above the 24.8% average for public four-year colleges nationwide, and maintains an estimated 97% occupancy rate.
The New Student Induction and Pinning Ceremony will take place 2 – 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17 at McDougald-McLendon Arena. Alumni and members of the NCCU community will present new students with their class pins as a reminder of the university heritage and legacy that they now share.
All incoming students are invited to participate in Eagle Mania, a series of events organized by the NCCU divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. The academic and social programs help students become more familiar with NCCU and the city of Durham.
A calendar of Eagle Mania events may be found here.