“It’s a great day to be a Tar Heel” is a phrase you’ll often hear around Carolina, and for a good reason. Every day, Tar Heels create a positive impact on the world by improving their communities and inspiring change through their talents. They’re artists, scientists, humanitarians, researchers and innovators doing extraordinary things.
Meet some of our students and alumni to find out why every day really is a great day to be a Tar Heel.
Established in 1980 by the late C. Knox Massey ’25 of Durham, the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award recognizes “unusual, meritorious or superior contributions” by University employees.
Learn more about the faculty and staff who make Carolina so special.
The nation's first public university, UNC-Chapel Hill is home to centuries-old traditions and experiences that connect generations of Tar Heels.
Watch the Bell Tower lighting the night before the first day of class, go for a stroll on Franklin Street and cheer on the Tar Heels in Kenan Stadium.
Learn more about the places and experiences that make the Tar Heel experience so special.
Dr. Aziz Sancar, co-recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Dr. Oliver Smithies (1925-2017), co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Our newest class is comprised of nearly 5,602 students. Approximately 20% of these Tar Heels are the first in their families to attend college.
Carolina is one of the nation’s few public flagship campuses to practice need-blind admissions and make the promise of a Carolina education possible for all students who earn admission, regardless of their financial means.
For nearly two decades, The Carolina Covenant has offered lower-income students who earn admission the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Starting in fall 2024, Carolina will cover out-of-pocket costs for tuition and mandatory fees for North Carolina undergraduates whose families make less than $80,000 per year and have typical assets.
At Carolina, diversity and inclusion are about celebrating all members of the community, broadening our collective understanding and fostering a sense of belonging by uplifting diverse identities, cultures, experiences and perspectives. The University received the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity.
Students, faculty and staff dedicate thousands of hours each year to helping our communities by performing service projects and participating in outreach programs. One hundred and fifteen students graduated as Buckley Public Service Scholars in 2024, logging more than 63,000 hours of public service.
Carolina also had nearly 65 advisers of the Carolina College Advising Corps serving 81 high schools to support North Carolinians and help students find colleges where they will thrive.
Learn more about Carolina’s service to our state
The first satellite to measure Earth’s surface water launched late 2022, and Carolina professor Tamlin Pavelsky's team is verifying its data.
As artificial intelligence opens the door to new opportunities, researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are working across disciplines to use the technology for the greater good.
Researchers across UNC-Chapel Hill are working to help communities understand the opioid epidemic’s effects on their residents and their economy and respond in ways that fit their needs.
Carolina is a place where innovators and entrepreneurs make a human, social and economic impact. We make purposeful transformations in the world by putting important ideas to use for the public good.
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