Record number of transfer students enroll in UNC System in 2025

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A record number of transfer students have enrolled in the University of North Carolina system this year, officials said Monday.

According to UNC System officials, the 16 public universities were joined by 18,719 transfer students for the fall 2025 semester. The number of transfers marks an 8.2% increase from last year.

Among the transfers, 10,840 students, nearly 60%, transferred from community colleges, according to UNC System officials.

UNC System officials attributed the increase to a simplified transfer process in the state.

“Transfer students bring a wealth of talent and experience to our universities, improving the quality of education for everyone,” UNC System President Peter Hans said in a statement.

“We’ve worked hard over the past few years to simplify our admissions, scholarship, and credit policies so that North Carolina’s public universities are extending a warm invitation to students of all backgrounds,” he continued in his statement. “Our growing population of transfer students shows that those efforts are making a difference for the people we serve.”