University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina)[12] is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolling students in 1795, making it one of the oldest public universities in the United States.[13]
Former names
The university offers degrees in over 70 courses of study and is administratively divided into 13 separate professional schools and a primary unit, the College of Arts & Sciences.[14] It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU).[15][16] The National Science Foundation ranked UNC–Chapel Hill 13th among American universities for research and development expenditures in 2021 with $1.2 billion.[17][18] As a highly ranked public university, it is also considered a public ivy.
The campus covers 760 acres (310 ha), encompassing the Morehead Planetarium and the many stores and shops located on Franklin Street. Students can participate in over 550 officially recognized student organizations. UNC Chapel Hill is one of the charter members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which was founded on June 14, 1953. The university's athletic teams compete as the Tar Heels.
With over 300,000 living former students,[232] North Carolina has one of the largest and most active alumni groups in America. Many Tar Heels have attained local, national, and international prominence. In politics, these have included James K. Polk, who served as the 11th President of the United States from 1845 to 1849,[233] and William R. King, the thirteenth Vice President of the United States.[234] Tar Heels have also made a mark on pop culture, with figures including Thomas Wolfe, the author of works such as Look Homeward, Angel and Of Time and the River, and Andy Griffith, star of The Andy Griffith Show.[235] Sports stars have included basketball player Michael Jordan, who played under Dean Smith while attending UNC, and Olympians April Heinrichs[236] and Vikas Gowda.[236] In business, alumni include Jason Kilar, former CEO of Hulu,[237] and Howard R. Levine, former CEO and chair of Family Dollar.[238]
